Asmaa El Safty‏‏

The <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3324851/brain-ai-said-run-100-times-faster-ultra-long-tasks-using-chinese-chips" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SpikingBrain 1.0</a> model represents a new turning point in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in China. It reflects a trend of building AI systems that mimic the way humans think. This model is based on neural processing inspired by electrical signals in nerve cells, which gives it an exceptional speed that exceeds traditional models by more than a hundred times with higher energy efficiency. The key edge of the model lies not only in its technical capabilities, but also its entirely local chips. The SpikingBrain 1.0 project aligns with Beijing's efforts to reduce its dependence on Western technology and comes amid escalating restrictions on advanced chips trade flow.Chinese GoalsIn September 2025, China unveiled this groundbreaking model as part of a broader effort to achieve several key objectives, including the following:1- Strengthening China’s Technological Independence: The SpikingBrain 1.0 language model was developed by a team led by Li Guoqi and Xu Bo at the Institute of Automation, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The model was trained using hundreds of GPUs supplied by MetaX, a <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3324851/brain-ai-said-run-100-times-faster-ultra-long-tasks-using-chinese-chips#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&amp;aoh=17596723714789&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shanghai</a>-based chipmaker. This demonstrates China's ability to build advanced AI systems using domestically sourced components—bypassing reliance on U.S. companies like Nvidia, whose products were restricted from export to China under a ban imposed by Washington and its allies. In response, China adopted a strategic plan to replace Nvidia’s hardware, even though the Trump administration later lifted the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxz29pe1v0o" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ban</a>.2- Reducing Operational Costs and Increasing Efficiency: Unlike the Large Language Models (LLM) based on the Transformer structure such as ChatGPT, the Chinese model does not need to perform huge calculations, as it relies on a new technology that simulates the work of the human brain. This technology—known as Spiking Neural Networks— uses neural networks that simulate the human brain. Its response to commands does not depend on activating the entire network at once, but rather only activates neurons (computational units) when needed, just as the human brain does. This model has different neural networks, some of which are responsible for calculating numbers, and others for writing codes, like the way biological neural networks of the human brain work.3- Achieving Qualitative Superiority Over Western Models: A report issued by the Chinese English-speaking Network <a href="https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/SpikingBrain-China-s-new-brain-like-AI-to-cut-energy-and-add-speed-1GDQnl0WcQE/p.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(CGTN)</a> highlighted the new Chinese model, which it considered a qualitative leap in AI technologies. The significance of this model lies in its reliance on pulsed neural network technology (Spiking Neural Networks) rather than dense attention mechanisms. This design allows it to be trained on significantly smaller datasets, using only about 2% of the pre-training data required by conventional large models, while enabling faster and more efficient, sparse computations.. For example, a report issued by <a href="https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinese-researchers-create-energy-saving-ai-model-rivaling-chatgpt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">yicaiglobal</a> stated that when processing an entry containing one million tokens, one version of SpikingBrain was able to generate the first output code about 27 times faster than the traditional model. While the <a href="https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2025-09-14/SpikingBrain-China-s-new-brain-like-AI-to-cut-energy-and-add-speed-1GDQnl0WcQE/p.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CGTN</a> report confirmed that the Chinese model can handle long tasks 100 times faster than traditional models.4- Cementing China’s Position in Neuromorphic AI: Neuromorphic AI is a branch of AI that aims to replicate the way the human brain processes information. This branch appeared in the early 1980s in the U.S. American technology companies began applying the theses of this branch in manufacturing a number of their electronic chips. A report issued by the Research and Markets Foundation <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/6169834/advanced-electronics-technologies-ai?utm_source=BW&amp;utm_medium=PressRelease&amp;utm_code=whcswp&amp;utm_campaign=2096813+-+Advanced+Electronics+Technologies+for+AI+Research+Report+2026-2036%2c+Profiles+of+400%2b+Companies+Across+Neuromorphic+Computing%2c+Quantum+Computing+and+Edge+AI+Processors&amp;utm_exec=chdomspi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(Research and Markets)</a>, entitled "Advanced Electronic Technologies for AI 2026-2036", indicated that China has become one of the most important emerging powers in the field of artificial neural intelligence, following the release of SpikingBrain 1.0. The report stressed that this development represents a strategic step towards Chinese technological independence and enhances China's ability to develop AI closer to real human thinking.5- Possessing Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly AI Technology: Energy consumption is one of the biggest challenges in the AI industry, with training large models requiring hundreds of megawatts of electricity. SpikingBrain 1.0 stands out for its energy-efficient design, as it activates only the necessary parts of the network. This approach significantly reduces electricity consumption during both training and operation, lowers the cooling requirements in data centers, and decreases the overall carbon footprint. Consequently, this type of model can contribute to making AI more aligned with <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/6169834/advanced-electronics-technologies-ai?utm_source=BW&amp;utm_medium=PressRelease&amp;utm_code=whcswp&amp;utm_campaign=2096813+-+Advanced+Electronics+Technologies+for+AI+Research+Report+2026-2036%2c+Profiles+of+400%2b+Companies+Across+Neuromorphic+Computing%2c+Quantum+Computing+and+Edge+AI+Processors&amp;utm_exec=chdomspi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global</a> climate goals.6- China’s Quest to Lead New Technological Transformations: A report by <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/6169834/advanced-electronics-technologies-ai?utm_source=BW&amp;utm_medium=PressRelease&amp;utm_code=whcswp&amp;utm_campaign=2096813+-+Advanced+Electronics+Technologies+for+AI+Research+Report+2026-2036%2c+Profiles+of+400%2b+Companies+Across+Neuromorphic+Computing%2c+Quantum+Computing+and+Edge+AI+Processors&amp;utm_exec=chdomspi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Research and Markets</a> Foundation, forecasting&nbsp;technological transformations between 2026 and 2036, states that the world is heading towards a decisive turning point in AI. It states that traditional processors have become unable to meet new requirements, such as massive training of LLMs, as well as real-time data analysis of self-driving devices and equipment. Moreover, traditional models face restrictions on mobile devices and sensors. Therefore, a transition is underway to develop more specialized technological systems, through expansion into the fields of neural AI computing and quantum computing. Although Western powers, especially the United States, still enjoy leadership in this field, China has demonstrated in recent years, through its university programs, research, and scientific production in these fields, that it seeks to shift from a spectator seat to a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251009493906/en/Advanced-Electronics-Technologies-for-AI-Research-Report-2026-2036-Profiles-of-400-Companies-Across-Neuromorphic-Computing-Quantum-Computing-and-Edge-AI-Processors---ResearchAndMarkets.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leadership</a> position.Multiple RepercussionsThe Chinese AI model remains nascent, with researchers having developed two versions: one with 7 billion parameters and a more advanced version with 76 billion parameters. Both versions are available for testing and use by specialists and the general public. A model of this type could have several implications across technological, political, and economic domains, as outlined below:1- Accelerating the U.S.-China Technological Race: Since 2019, the <a href="https://www.theasset.com/article/54972/ai-race-us-ahead-china-others-closing-gap" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">U.S.</a> has maintained a clear lead in AI technology, with American companies producing more than half of the world’s most advanced AI models. Over the past three years alone, six major U.S. companies have invested over $212 billion in research and development, while generative AI startups raised around $90 billion in 2024. The U.S. also has the largest pool of AI specialists—around 500,000 experts—and the world’s highest data center capacity, estimated at 45 gigawatts (GW).However, this dominance is far from guaranteed. Beijing is working aggressively to close the gap by relying on centralized planning. In contrast to the U.S. private-sector-driven development model, China's centralized approach emphasizes efficiency and strategic use of limited resources. Since 2019, the Chinese government has injected around $132 billion into its AI sector and now invests approximately $60 billion annually in institutional Research and Development.As a result, China now boasts 15 of the world’s top 40 AI models, employs 18% of the leading researchers in the field, and holds the second-largest global data center capacity, estimated at 20 GW. These efforts have begun to yield tangible results through models like DeepSeek and the new language model SpikingBrain 1.0, which represents a new generation of AI that goes beyond the capabilities of <a href="https://www.theasset.com/article/54972/ai-race-us-ahead-china-others-closing-gap" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">traditional</a> architectures.2- Encourage More Countries to Invest in AI: The competition over the future of AI is no longer confined to China, the U.S., and Europe. It now includes countries across the Global South, which are no longer passive recipients of AI systems. They are beginning to design, train and regulate their own AI models.Governments in parts of the Arab world Asian, African, and Latin American have launched national and regional initiatives aimed at developing AI models that align with local priorities and needs. This trend is helping to strengthen both linguistic and digital sovereignty. The Middle East is a prime example of this, with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar launching significant initiatives to build world-class data centers and develop locally <a href="https://www.theasset.com/article/54972/ai-race-us-ahead-china-others-closing-gap" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">built</a> AI models.3- A Shift in the Standers of Technical Superiority in AI: China’s SpikingBrain 1.0 is based on combining a hybrid linear attention mechanism , conversion-based training, and Spiking neurons. This makes it able to deliver the same performance as the massive Western language models based on Transformer Architecture, with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Although the current and future contributions that Western models are expected to represent a strong boost in this field, they rely on excessive computational power. This dependence makes their continued development challenging especially as computing and energy costs rise dramatically. Therefore, the importance and strength of the new Chinese model gives it a <a href="https://blog.gopenai.com/the-brains-blueprint-how-spikingbrain-unlocks-100x-faster-radically-efficient-llms-04c885788ebc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">long-</a>term strategic advantage.4- Securing Supply Chains Outside the West: China's current handling of the technological war led by Washington against Beijing shows that it has learned from previous years of competition. China's most prominent policies in this field are developing advanced local technologies in the field of AI, manufacturing electric cars "BYD", and promoting technological self-sufficiency. This is in addition to imposing counter-customs duties and banning the export of rare metals vital to the U.S. arms industry, as part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-xi-jinping-has-learned-from-trumps-first-trade-war-and-is-ready-to-fight-back-250101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">"Made in China 2025"</a> strategy. The importance of the Chinese linguistic model (SpikingBrain 1.0) lies in using chips independently from the U.S. as part of its efforts to enhance its autonomy. Furthermore, Beijing aims to mitigate the damage resulting of potentially of isolating it from global technological supply chains. In this context, a similar situation occurred when the U.S. previously banned its export of advanced AI chips to China. The model has been fully trained and operated on Chinese-made devices, making it an important strategic achievement that enhances China's technological independence in the field of <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-xi-jinping-has-learned-from-trumps-first-trade-war-and-is-ready-to-fight-back-250101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI</a>.5- Possibility of Employing the Model in Various Advanced Fields: The Chinese linguistic model (SpikingBrain 1.0) has shown superiority in dealing with ultra-long sequences, making it suitable for numerous applications. These include analysis of legal and medical documents, high-energy particle physics, and modeling DNA sequences, according to one of the most prominent Chinese researchers who developed the <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/china-launches-brain-inspired-ai-model-that-runs-100-times-faster-without-nvidia-chips/ar-AA1Mge1P" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">model</a>.In conclusion, although the SpikingBrain 1.0 model reflects a significant scientific achievement and underlines China's acceleration towards achieving technical independence in the field of AI, its path remains fraught with challenges. The success of initial trials does not guarantee a smooth transition to large-scale commercial application, especially in light of the intense competition with the United States and the ongoing restrictions on advanced chips. However, combining local innovation with advanced systems gives Beijing a real opportunity to reshape the rules of the global race in AI, provided it continues to invest in scientific research and expand applied experimentation.

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