{"id":95764,"date":"2026-03-31T15:30:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=95764"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:36:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:36:50","slug":"my-brain-computer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/my-brain-computer\/","title":{"rendered":"My \u2018brain\u2013computer\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The brain\u2013computer interface (BCI) industry is in the midst of an investment boom, presenting itself as science fiction made real. Companies are racing to connect the human brain to the digital realm, promising not only help for paralysed patients but cognitive superpowers for healthy people.<\/p>\n<p>Having reviewed research-team data, corporate reports and the state of play, ForkLog examines where the technology stands\u2014and who is truly carving up the market.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beyond Musk: who is carving up the market<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the impression created by our information bubble that every headline concerns Neuralink, the market has long been split among invasive, minimally invasive and non-invasive approaches\u2014where real breakthroughs are being made by many independent teams.<\/p>\n<p>Neuralink\u2019s chief rival is often said to be Synchron, whose Stentrode technology avoids open-skull surgery. The device is fed in via the jugular vein and positioned inside a blood vessel near the brain\u2019s motor cortex\u2014an approach that has helped the firm to the front of the regulatory queue.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Synchron | Our BCI: How It Works In Under 2 Minutes\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b8M2mJ9Oiqw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Patients in the US and Australia already control Apple devices with their thoughts, although transmitting signals through a vessel wall trims bandwidth somewhat.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Synchron Debuts First Thought-Controlled iPad Experience Using Apple\u2019s New BCI Human Interface...\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/53M5yQ3n1MI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The industry\u2019s veteran and bedrock is Blackrock Neurotech. Its wired Utah Array system has underpinned leading academic research since 2004 and is rightly deemed the gold standard. Dozens of patients have lived with these implants for years, and the manufacturer is preparing a commercial launch of an updated platform.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-f3becbe9fc73a0f1-560861490588338.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-277740\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/blackrockneurotech.com\/products\/utah-array\/\">Blackrock Neurotech<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Precision Neuroscience\u2014founded by alumni of Elon Musk\u2019s company\u2014offers an intriguing alternative. It has developed an ultrathin electrode array that is laid on the brain\u2019s surface through a tiny incision, entirely avoiding penetration of neural tissue.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Precision Neuroscience Introductory Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5JYCK_Qj4fY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, Tsinghua University in China is deploying a minimally invasive implant, NEO, which is mounted beneath the skull and has already enabled a fully paralysed patient to control a mechanical exoskeleton.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-5740e6f37296da90-560861530229655.webp\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-277739\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3250476\/chinese-brain-chip-helps-paralysed-man-regain-mobility-and-its-less-invasive-elon-musks-neuralink\">South China Morning Post<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Foundational work also comes from BrainGate, which has spent decades testing algorithms for thought-driven device control. For this, its founder, John Donoghue, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brown.edu\/news\/2026-02-03\/donoghue-qeprize\">was awarded<\/a> the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2026 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d8BeqOr56PQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Competition is intensifying: biotech firm Science Corporation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobihealthnews.com\/news\/neural-engineering-company-science-corporation-garners-230m\">raised<\/a> $230m to develop its PRIMA implant. Designed to treat <span data-descr=\"a chronic progressive eye disease affecting the central part of the retina\" class=\"old_tooltip\">macular degeneration<\/span>, it restores visual function by stimulating retinal neurons.<\/p>\n<p>Engineering advances are emerging worldwide. The Russian project Motorica builds high-tech limb prostheses with neural control.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-94ca7cfa0ceea76c-560861528536805-1024x283.png\" alt=\"image\" class=\"wp-image-277738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-94ca7cfa0ceea76c-560861528536805-1024x283.png 1024w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-94ca7cfa0ceea76c-560861528536805-300x83.png 300w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-94ca7cfa0ceea76c-560861528536805-768x212.png 768w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/img-94ca7cfa0ceea76c-560861528536805.png 1489w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/motorica.org\">motorica.org<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the same time, specialists at HSE University\u2019s Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces <a href=\"https:\/\/bioelectric.hse.ru\/neurointerfaces\/\">are studying<\/a> non-invasive control methods and neural decoding of motor commands.<\/p>\n<p>And the door to a new era is opening even for the general public: in November 2025 Phantom Neuro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/phantom-neuro-officially-opens-its-much-anticipated-patient-registry-to-connect-amputees-with-future-clinical-opportunities-302623988.html\">announced<\/a> a patient registry to connect upper-limb amputees with clinical trials of new neurointerfaces.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gateway to the Matrix\u2014or hard physics: the hardware hurdles<\/h2>\n<p>In startup decks, the future looks like the movies. In practice, Silicon Valley\u2019s most grandiose claims meet physical and biological limits. The toughest obstacle is rejection.<\/p>\n<p>The brain is a hostile environment for electronics. Tissue reacts to foreign microelectrodes by forming glial scars, so the quality of neural signal transmission inevitably degrades. This harsh reality was <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/neuralinks-first-patient-shares-life-after-brain-chip-implant\">encountered<\/a> by the first Neuralink patient: some of the chip\u2019s threads failed a few weeks after implantation.<\/p>\n<p>Then comes the problem of bandwidth and power. Today\u2019s systems can transmit hundreds of bits per second\u2014enough to move a cursor or play a game of chess, but \u201ctelepathy\u201d would demand millions of channels.<\/p>\n<p>Attempts to multiply computing power immediately exacerbate battery wear and heat. Raising the temperature around the chip\u2019s operating zone by even one degree can cause irreversible tissue damage\u2014an engineering cul-de-sac yet to be escaped.<\/p>\n<p>Lofty claims from the Valley often mask stern hardware constraints. The chief technological barrier is signal fidelity. Non-invasive methods (various EEG caps) run into the skull\u2019s severe distortion of signals.<\/p>\n<p>At a specialist conference at HSE University, experts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hse.ru\/news\/science\/1055508087.html\">noted<\/a> serious hurdles to using modern \u201cdry\u201d electrodes outside clinical labs. Sensor sensitivity depends heavily on humidity, skull anatomy and how tightly equipment is fixed. Traditional gel electrodes readily ensure reliable contact and high accuracy, but wearing gel kit every day is highly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The direction of travel: from medicine to neurodata<\/h2>\n<p>Developers define BCI\u2019s primary mission as restoring mobility, speech and vision for people with disabilities. This framing helps technology through regulatory procedures, including approval by the <span data-descr=\"the US Food and Drug Administration\" class=\"old_tooltip\">FDA<\/span>. As the field matures, however, medicine is increasingly a springboard for commercial scale: business is shifting towards cognitive augmentation and tools for healthy users.<\/p>\n<p>BCIs create a fundamentally new layer of data. If smartphones can analyse your digital habits, a BCI could in principle capture unconscious emotional responses directly. Tech giants see a marketing instrument that can gauge ad effectiveness at the neural level\u2014and turn thoughts into the fastest control interface.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Big Tech, neuroresearch has for decades been bankrolled by governments and defence. America\u2019s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0165027014002702\">invests<\/a> in nonverbal battlefield communication, drone control without the latency of human motor output and algorithms to blunt stress and pain responses.<\/p>\n<p>In the long run, industry insiders talk of transhumanism and hybrid consciousness. Leaders say merging with machines is a necessary condition to compete with artificial intelligence as information-exchange speeds climb.<\/p>\n<p>Part of that future is arriving now: Stanford University scientists have <a href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/news\/all-news\/2025\/08\/brain-computer-interface.html\">for the first time<\/a> reliably decoded \u201cinner speech\u201d, mapping cortical electrical signals to basic spoken phonemes and text\u2014potentially minimising the need to move lips or type.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hybrid consciousness: the blurring of personhood<\/h2>\n<p>It is wrong to think of BCI installation as a linear data readout. Using such systems requires mutual co-adaptation. Machine-learning algorithms continually adjust to the user, and the human nervous system, according to recent work in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s42256-026-01194-z\">Nature Machine Intelligence<\/a>, literally relearns to generate impulses in ways that make classification easier for the software.<\/p>\n<p>The boundary between biological and synthetic gradually fades, producing a dilution of agency. Because a third-party decoder stands between human intention and executed action\u2014and \u201cfills in\u201d the signal\u2014users quickly stop seeing where their own will ends and neural-network assistance begins.<\/p>\n<p>A deep illusion of embodiment arises, akin to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%98%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B8\">rubber hand illusion<\/a>, but at a fundamental level. The tool ceases to feel external, and moving a cursor by thought can tire a person as much as a full workout at the gym.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New contours of privacy<\/h2>\n<p>Direct symbiosis exposes privacy risks. Algorithms can already, with mixed success, decode inner dialogues and imagery\u2014creating a precedent for the absence of privacy even inside one\u2019s own head. Brain waves become detailed fingerprints of individual emotions and mental-health traits.<\/p>\n<p>Preventing leaks and manipulation is pushing the world towards new rules for neural data. In the United States, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dwt.com\/blogs\/privacy--security-law-blog\/2025\/10\/senate-mind-act-neural-data-ftc-regulation\">MIND Act<\/a> seeks to protect citizens\u2019 digital thought, and the Federal Trade Commission is developing rules to prohibit the unauthorised commercialisation of human thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>That anxiety is already bleeding into art: new theatre productions, such as <span data-descr=\"The Moon is Always Full \u2014 a stage play by playwright Cleavon Smith\" class=\"old_tooltip\">The Moon is Always Full<\/span>, directly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independentnews.com\/news\/livermore_news\/science-play-productions-set-to-explore-ai-enhanced-brain-implants-neural-interfaces\/article_2d809245-e0d0-4eeb-99b5-916711b52ad8.html\">raise<\/a> philosophical questions about the safety of clinical trials and whether digital copies of minds could leak to AI programmers.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From science fiction to a monopoly on thought<\/h2>\n<p>The neurointerface industry has left the pages of science fiction and entered the pragmatic grind of engineering. For now, these systems remain prototypes of complex controllers, and their chief task today is to deliver indisputable medical benefit. But the corporate race is not about wheelchairs.<\/p>\n<p>Multinationals are building the platform for the next iteration of the internet, where smartphones and keyboards become relics. The central question of that coming paradigm is who will hold full rights to the information generated directly by your neurons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having reviewed research-team data, corporate reports and the state of play, ForkLog examines where brain\u2013computer interface technology stands and who is carving up the market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":95765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"Who is building brain\u2013computer interfaces \u2014 and why","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1144],"tags":[1812],"class_list":["post-95764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-longreads","tag-brain-computer-interface-bci"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"81","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"Who is building brain\u2013computer interfaces \u2014 and why","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95764"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95766,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95764\/revisions\/95766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}