At the 11th Innovation Annual Conference of the 2025 Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum, Peng Lei, founder and chairman of BrainCo, deeply discussed the future development of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and proposed five new trends in the field over the next five years. These trends are expected to completely change people's lifestyles and the technological landscape.
1. Integration of Brain-Computer Interfaces with the Spinal Cord: A Hope for Paralyzed Patients
Peng Lei pointed out that the integration of brain-computer interfaces with the spinal cord will be a major trend in the future. Since the brain and spinal cord are closely connected, spinal cord injuries in patients with high-level paralysis hinder the transmission of neural signals. In the future, by implanting a brain-computer interface in the head and a spinal-computer interface in the back, it is hoped that paralyzed patients can stand up again and regain their mobility.
2. Visual Stimulation: Bringing "Light" to the Blind
The second trend is visual stimulation. Peng Lei said that it may be possible in the future to help completely blind patients by directly stimulating the brain. Even in the dark, they can see white flashes, and by connecting these flashes, they can form a visual experience similar to a display. As the number of channels increases (such as 60, 600, or even 2000 channels), the blind will be able to see clearer and more complex images. Notably, Neuralink, Elon Musk's company, plans to launch its first brain-computer interface trial for the blind in the second half of next year.
3. Enhanced Memory: Reversing Alzheimer's Disease and Achieving "Memory Plug-ins"
In the field of memory, Peng Lei believes that brain-computer interfaces will play an important role. He explained that human memory is a complex whole-brain collaborative process, in which the hippocampus plays a key role. By stimulating and regulating the hippocampus, it is expected to enhance memory, reverse Alzheimer's disease, and even achieve the ability of "memory plug-ins," that is, to assist or expand human memory through external devices.
4. Embodied Intelligence: The Key to AI Consciousness Awakening
Peng Lei emphasized the importance of embodied intelligence and revealed that BrainCo is collaborating with AnyBot to explore the integration of brain-computer interfaces with embodied intelligence. He believes that current artificial intelligence, whether large models or other forms, cannot produce consciousness without being combined with embodied intelligence. He explained that consciousness is a feedback generated from the interaction between the brain and the objective world; if AI is limited to text input and token output, its way of interacting with the world is too singular. Only through embodied intelligence, allowing AI to have senses, perception, and the ability to collide and fall, truly perceive the world, can consciousness emerge. Therefore, he believes that the combination of embodied intelligence and AI, as well as the integration with brain-computer interfaces, is crucial.
5. Carbon-Based and Silicon-Based Integration: Approaching the "Singularity" Era
Finally, Peng Lei cited predictions from the book "The Singularity," pointing out that in the future between 2035 and 2045, humans will move toward the integration of carbon-based and silicon-based systems. He expressed hope that this generation of hard tech entrepreneurs in China can drive this process to come sooner.
Peng Lei's predictions paint an exciting blueprint for the future of brain-computer interfaces, covering medical rehabilitation, sensory enhancement, cognitive improvement, and breakthroughs in AI consciousness, signaling the arrival of a new era characterized by the deep integration of biological and digital technologies.
