Samsung Electronics has won its first contract to develop chips for Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, marking a major step into the BCI field and strengthening Samsung’s position in advanced semiconductors. The move also brings the South Korean chip giant closer to Musk’s broader business empire and could help it compete more directly with TSMC in future chip races.
According to reports, Samsung has already begun work on Neuralink’s fourth-generation chip, codenamed “O1.” The chip is expected to be made using a 4-nanometer process, one of the industry’s most advanced, and initial test chips have recently started production. Samsung plans to deliver the first prototypes in the first half of 2027, with mass production targeted later that year if testing succeeds.
The new chip is designed to be a technological leap over earlier Neuralink versions. Previous generations focused on reading brain signals and sending them to external devices, while the new design is meant to support two-way communication, not only decoding brain activity but also feeding information back into the brain. That could, among other uses, help restore sensory functions such as sight through direct neural stimulation.
The shift may reflect changes in Neuralink’s supply chain, since it had previously relied on TSMC for earlier chips. The switch could be linked to heavy pressure on TSMC’s production lines from surging demand from AI companies such as Nvidia. For Samsung, the contract is another strategic win in its effort to revive its foundry business, which has faced losses and intense competition in recent years. It follows a roughly $16.5 billion multi-year deal with Tesla to make AI6 chips. Meanwhile, Neuralink is reportedly moving fast clinically, having already implanted at least 12 patients with paralysis and aiming for large-scale production in 2026. If the plans hold, the partnership could become a milestone on the path to making brain-computer interfaces a common medical technology and, eventually, a consumer one.
