Former Harvard Scientist Joins China in AI Supersoldier Race

A former leading scientist at Harvard University has made the move to China, providing a significant boost to the country in the race to create the world’s first AI supersoldier.

Charles Lieber, who once served as the dean of Harvard’s chemistry department, is now the founding director of the Shenzhen Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnology, affectionately known as i-BRAIN.

In China’s military sector, researchers are actively developing brain-computer interfaces aimed at enhancing mental agility and situational awareness for training super soldiers. Lieber is recognized internationally as a top expert in this area.

Back in 2021, Lieber was convicted for lying to federal authorities regarding his connections to China’s Thousand Talents Plan—a program designed to attract foreign researchers. He left Harvard in 2023 after serving only two days in prison related to this case.

Lieber’s laboratory is built upon around 30 years of research from his time at Harvard, which saw at least $8 million in funding from the Department of Defense, whereas the Chinese Communist Party fully financed his current research. Notably, the latest five-year plan from the government, published in March, declared brain-computer interface research as a “national priority.”

After his arrest, Lieber took a leave of absence but ultimately retired in 2023. His new position in China was revealed last year, although details didn’t emerge until more recently.

His lab, located in Shenzhen—a city that has rapidly evolved from a fishing village to China’s tech hub—now enjoys resources that far exceed what was available to him in the United States. For instance, Lieber now has access to primate research facilities and advanced chip-making technology that Harvard could not provide.

The lab sits on a large campus supported by billions in funding from the Chinese government, with slogans encouraging innovation alongside the Party. A reporter from Reuters attempted to contact Lieber but was denied entry.

As of September, Lieber’s lab website indicated that he is looking for researchers to work on using monkeys as models for human brain-computer interfaces. He has also attracted at least one other prominent scientist from Harvard; Jung Min Lee, known for his work in embedding electronic devices in brain tissue, is now a research associate professor at i-BRAIN.

In a rare interview since relocating, Lieber expressed his intentions, stating, “We can’t do this in America anymore, so we decided to move elsewhere.” He asserted that his work is meant to “benefit all of humanity.”

Lieber aims to position Shenzhen as a global leader in this field, an aspiration he shared at a conference in December.

Despite his prior criminal conviction, which was part of a broader initiative from the Trump administration against Chinese espionage, Lieber has been allowed to travel to China several times in 2024 for what has been termed “employment networking,” as outlined in court documents.

This situation reflects the complexities and contradictions inherent in research and international collaboration, leaving many wondering about the future implications of such partnerships.