From Eye Control to Brain Control: Cai Lei, as a 'Cybernetic Body,' Aims to Transfer Consciousness into Embodied Robots

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(Source: Yicai News)

On June 21, World ALS Day, Cai Lei, former vice president of JD.com, drew widespread attention with his speech titled “Countdown.” Reportedly, Cai, who has entered the terminal stage of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), insisted on appearing in person for the address. His voice was restored using AI technology, and he authored the speech text himself using an eye-tracking device.

In the video, Cai Lei transforms into a “cybernetic body.” He stated, “For six long years, ALS has left me completely paralyzed and unable to speak. Nevertheless, I continue to fight it using an eye-tracking device, battling with my eyes. If the day comes when I can no longer see, I will connect to a brain-computer interface and fight it with my mind. And if my mind also fails, I will upload my consciousness into embodied AI.”Robot“...switch to another body and fight it.”

For tens of millions of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and those with high-level paraplegia, brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is transforming “communication by thought alone” from science fiction into reality. By decoding neural signals, BCI rebuilds a bridge to the outside world for patients who are gradually losing their ability to speak and move.

A Yicai reporter noted that Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company under tech billionaire Elon Musk, had previously demonstrated a similar scenario. An ALS patient successfully regained communication abilities by implanting Neuralink’s Link device, enabling them not only to control a computer cursor with their thoughts to type text but also to express themselves using an AI-synthesized personal voice, and even independently complete the editing of the demonstration video.

Currently, Link has received the "Breakthrough Medical Device" designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device is primarily intended for patients with neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, and spinal cord injury.

Numerous brain-computer interface (BCI) manufacturers worldwide are also targeting indications such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). For instance, Synchron, a leading BCI company competing with Neuralink, demonstrated how its implanted device, the Stentrode, could replace the pinch gesture used on Apple’s Vision Pro headset. This enabled an ALS patient to select interface elements via eye tracking and complete “clicks” using thought alone.

China is also witnessing a surge of competition in the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). For instance, Beijing Xinzhida’s BCI device, “Beinao No. 1,” has completed its first batch of human implants at institutions such as Beijing Tiantan Hospital, enabling patients who lost speech due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to communicate in Chinese.

This month, NeuroXess disclosed its latest clinical progress: two patients with high-level paraplegia completed a chess match across an 800-kilometer distance via brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The patient in Shanghai used a BCI to control piece selection and placement on a virtual chessboard, transmitting commands in real time to a small robot beside the patient in Nanchang, which then moved the pieces on a physical board. Meanwhile, the Nanchang patient used a brain-controlled exoskeleton glove to grasp and move actual chess pieces. Together, the two players completed a full game using neural signals.

Tao Hu, founder and chief scientist at NeuroXess, told a Yicai reporter: “Ordinary actions such as playing chess and writing signify a return to normal life for patients with high-level paraplegia. The brain-controlled piece selection in Shanghai, the robotic piece placement in Nanchang, and the exoskeleton-assisted piece grasping are three interlinked technologies that demonstrate the complete chain of brain–computer interfaces—from neural signal decoding to controlling external devices and further to assisting limb movement.”

Yicai reporters have learned that clinical trials of the “Three-Comprehensive” brain-computer interface (BCI) system are currently expanding from top-tier clinical centers in China to more hospitals, while industrialization of related BCI devices is also accelerating. A super factory located in the Ganjiang New Area of Jiangxi Province is expected to officially commence operations in the second half of this year.