Former Harvard Professor Convicted in US Now Leads Brain-Computer Interface Research in China

Charles Lieber, a former Harvard University professor previously convicted in the United States for failing to disclose his participation in China's 'Thousand Talents Plan,' is now heading a brain-computer interface (BCI) research initiative in Shenzhen, China. BCI technology, which involves implanting electronic devices into the human brain, is a field that China has identified as a national priority. Lieber, a leading expert in BCI, was found guilty by a Boston jury in December 2021 on six counts, including making false statements to authorities and tax fraud. He served a two-day jail sentence and six months of home confinement, along with a $50,000 fine. Despite his conviction, Lieber is now leading the government-funded 'i-BRAIN' center at the Shenzhen Medical Science Academy. At this center, he has access to nano-manufacturing equipment and primate research infrastructure, resources he stated were not available at Harvard. His move to China and the swift establishment of his research lab have led some analysts to express concern that the US's preventative measures against the acquisition of technologies with potential military applications are not keeping pace with China's efforts to obtain them. The report also notes that China's 'military-civil fusion' strategy facilitates the transfer of civilian research to military use. Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel of the US National Security Agency, described Lieber as a prime example of the US's insufficient legal tools to prevent such transfers.