‘Doctrine of the Mean’: how the US lost a 2-decade race to China in brain implants

The United States led the pursuit of brain-computer interface technology for decades, focusing on high-risk breakthroughs aimed at revolutionizing medicine and human-machine integration. However, China has now achieved a commercially approved product using a semi-invasive approach, reflecting the Confucian “doctrine of the mean” by seeking a middle path between extremes.