Chinese “super soldiers” allegedly using athletes & esports brainwave data for training

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There are concerns that data regarding the brain activity of prominent athletes like Charles LeClerc and Jannik Sinner, as well as professional Call of Duty players, may have been shared with the Chinese government. The alleged purpose of this data transfer was to potentially assist in the development of advanced training programs, sometimes referred to as training for “super soldiers”.

China is often at the forefront of technological innovation. Visitors are often surprised to learn you can rent exoskeletons at affordable prices to assist with challenging hikes.

On the September 16th episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out (PTFO), journalists Pablo Torre and Sam Koppelman talked about their investigation of BrainCo. The neurotechnology company, established at Harvard in 2015, received significant financial support and resources from the Chinese government and researchers to help with its studies.

As its name indicates, BrainCo’s primary goal is creating products that aid in brain training. This encompasses wearable EEG headbands – known as FocusCalm – which are designed to enhance focus by interpreting brainwave activity.

CoD & League pros used brain training software too

The investigation conducted by PTFO and Hunterbrook claims this data was provided to the Chinese government. According to revised national security regulations, Chinese firms must share their data with the CCP, and BrainCo reportedly does so “every half second.”

Headbands have been used by prominent athletes including LeClerc, Sinner, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Iga Swiatek. Additionally, members of the US and Italian Olympic teams, as well as the Manchester City squad, have been reported to use them.

Furthermore, Minnesota Rokkr have been promoted as a partner of BrainCo, and Robert Yip, who previously coached the Immortals’ League of Legends team, is also associated with them.

According to a report by Hunterbrook, the Chinese government has been open about its plans to expand into other areas, including potential military uses.

State media is reporting on the development of “super soldiers” using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to enhance their abilities. The People’s Liberation Army has been running national BCI competitions, and its research teams are collaborating with private companies to create BCI products designed to improve soldiers’ memory and attention.

This comes after U.S. senators cautioned the government regarding the possible misuse of private brain information. They stated that Chinese firms are creating what they describe as “purported brain-control weaponry.”

So far, none of the athletes mentioned in the report have publicly commented. However, both Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska from Rokkr and Yip did share statements about the FocusCalm device, saying it helped them improve their performance.

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2025-09-30 15:49