Commie-nator: ex-Harvard scientist defects to China to help build army of AI super soldiers
Charles Lieber, a former Harvard scientist, has defected to China and is now leading a state-funded research institute in Shenzhen focused on brain-computer interfaces. He was previously convicted in the U.S. for concealing ties to China's Thousand Talents Program and retired from Harvard in 2023. Lieber's work in China, supported by extensive government resources, aims to advance military applications including AI-enhanced soldiers.
- ▪Charles Lieber is the founding director of Shenzhen’s Institute for Brain Research Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies (i-BRAIN).
- ▪He was convicted in 2021 for lying about his involvement with China's Thousand Talents Program and received minimal prison time.
- ▪Lieber’s lab in Shenzhen is fully funded by the Chinese government and has access to advanced research facilities and primate testing not available to him at Harvard.
- ▪He claimed his research benefits humanity and aims to make Shenzhen a global leader in brain-computer interface technology.
- ▪Lieber traveled to China multiple times during his supervised release, including under court-approved 'employment networking' grounds.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News Commie-nator: ex-Harvard scientist defects to China to help build army of AI super soldiers By Gabrielle Fahmy Published May 2, 2026, 11:54 a.m. ET A former top scientist from Harvard University has defected to China – giving the country an edge in the global race to develop the world’s first AI super-soldier. Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard’s chemistry department, has resurfaced as the founding director of Shenzhen’s Institute for Brain Research Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies, also known as i-BRAIN. Scientists in the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party have been working on brain-computer interfaces — Lieber is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field — to boost mental agility and situational awareness to engineer super soldiers.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at US News – Latest Breaking Headlines, Photos & Videos | New York Post.
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