Below is State of the Day, a morning newsletter by Daily Caller Editor-at-Large. Sign up here.
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Greetings, Dear Reader,
Sorry for missing yesterday as well. Not exactly the best start to my return, huh? Something came up, and I just couldn’t make it. That’s life. You have to take the losses.
One thing I aim to do here at SOTD is shine a light on issues that the broader (political) media isn’t covering well, or at all.
Sometimes it’s because the topic is difficult to explain or simply doesn’t have the wow factor. For instance, “Activist judge lets criminal illegal immigrant murderer back on the streets” is easy to report and pretty well-received. But discussions about AI-enhanced soldiers? Not so much.
MEANWHILE, CHINESE SUPER CHIMPS
I think transhumanism is an exaggerated topic. While it’s assumed that technology will keep progressing at a breakneck pace, I’m skeptical that we’ll ever hit true Robocop status.
That said, the Pentagon is really concerned about a recent high-profile defection to China. Richard Lieber, a well-known brain researcher from Harvard, was convicted in 2021 for lying about payments from China. His punishment included two days in jail, six months of house arrest, a $50,000 fine, and unpaid taxes that totaled $37,000.
Just a side note—doesn’t that seem low for someone who essentially sold out to an adversarial country? I wonder if it’s wrong to think we should enact harsher consequences for such betrayals, but that’s another issue.
Lieber arrived in China in April 2025 and opened a new center known as the “I-Brain” in Shenzhen on May 1. Before a recent Reuters report, we had no real clue about his projects.
In his research facility, Lieber has capacity for 2,000 primates and access to advanced chip manufacturing. China has long been attracting scientists engaged in high-risk research with significant downsides; just ask those involved with COVID-19 origins.
His declared objective is to address degenerative nerve and brain disorders like ALS.
However, China’s aspirations go beyond that; they are highly interested in creating “super soldiers.” The Chinese government has marked “brain-computer interfaces” as a top priority.
The motives are obvious, especially if you’ve ever read a dystopian novel.
Not only could this technology potentially create enhanced soldiers, but it could also eliminate the need for state control—if they could merely program people from birth using brain chips.
China’s loosely regulated scientific ethics don’t stop them from conducting dubious experiments, potentially involving not just primates but also marginalized groups.
There are a couple of key points to consider.
First, even with regulations in the U.S., Harvard, MIT, and the Defense Department’s DARPA are still pursuing competitive research. Elon Musk is even optimistic about curing blindness and paralysis.
Second: This entire situation can seem exaggerated compared to the real issues.
For example, when Musk claims his tech enabled a totally paralyzed individual to speak again, it was, in reality, robotic mimicry, not genuine speech. Sure, it’s an upgrade, but it’s not actual conversation.
True, authentic voice cannot be replaced; it can be simulated, but that will always lack the essence. The same concept applies to vision, robotic limbs, and so on.
And let’s not forget, the long-term health effects of integrating silicon with biological systems that took ages to evolve are still uncertain. Cancer, among other issues, seems probable.
The future is anyone’s guess. While I understand the Pentagon’s worries—hedging is always advisable—I really don’t believe China’s plans for drone-enhanced super chimps will pan out. Sorry, folks.
MORE LINKS
Country Raids Muslim Sect Over Alleged Sex Crimes, Slavery
More of this, please.
How Much Taxpayer Money Did Democrats Spend Trying To Gerrymander Virginia?
Double whammy.
We Are Trapped Inside Dystopia
Have we contemplated it enough? Do we even have the time?
