Before entering the "Central Conservatory of Music No.1" laboratory, the reporter's impression of the brain computer interface experiment was still at the stage where the subjects needed to wash their hair on the spot - in order to ensure good electrical contact between the experimental equipment and the scalp and improve the quality of signal acquisition. Under the guidance of the staff at the "Zhongyin No.1" laboratory, the reporter only needs to wear a non-invasive brain computer interface device. After wearing a headband, the EEG data will be transmitted in real time to the staff's computer, and the sound of artificial intelligence interaction will be transmitted through the headphones. A conversation with an AI music therapist begins from then on. In November 2025, the first music brain computer interface in China, "Zhongyin No.1", was officially released. Li Xiaobing, Director of the Department of Music Artificial Intelligence and Music Information Technology at the Central Conservatory of Music, introduced that "Zhongyin No.1" is independently developed by the department, integrating advanced brain computer interface technology, multi-channel neural signal acquisition, emotion recognition algorithm music big model, and artificial intelligence music therapy system and other advanced technologies. This is the first cutting-edge brain computer interface product launched in the intersection of music and neural technology in China. The device needs to come into contact with the scalp to collect physiological signals such as EEG, heart rate, blood oxygen, etc. It can synchronously monitor the wearer's relaxation index, concentration index, emotional index, etc., combined with subjective scoring, to provide accurate basis for subsequent music therapy. Experience begins. Artificial intelligence voice asks reporters about recent events that have caused negative emotions, requiring detailed and specific descriptions of the event's visuals, scenes, and feelings. Based on subjective descriptions and physiological data such as EEG, the system scores the journalist's emotions (0-10 points, with higher scores indicating greater negative emotions - journalist's note). During the communication process, the system will first match music with a sad tone, allowing emotions to resonate with the melody; Through dialogue guidance, the music gradually transforms into a gentle and positive style. Entering the subsequent formal treatment, the reporter followed the voice guidance to close their eyes and enter the virtual music therapy space. The treatment process takes about 20 minutes, and conventional treatment usually requires two or three rounds. Team member Ma Jun told reporters that this is the same as traditional music therapy. Due to the low initial rating of negative emotions described by the reporter, team member Ludi admitted that if the negative emotion rating is below 4 points, the regulating effect of the device will be relatively limited, and it is currently more suitable for intervening in moderate to mild emotional problems. The reporter asked the students who participated in the test about their user experience. A student said that AI questions were a bit difficult to answer at the beginning, but gradually became smoother in the middle and later stages. AI can indeed help people shift their attention and relax a lot. But the voice of AI is not immersive enough. ”He hopes that the AI's voice can better fit the treatment scenario, and the tone can be softer and more natural, preferably with multiple voices and speech rates to choose from. The end of AI products cannot escape comparison with real people. A participant named Wang Guang (pseudonym), whose emotional score dropped from 7 to 0, compared traditional music therapy with AI music therapy and believed that AI questioning is still somewhat rigid and direct, and there is still a lot of room for improvement. But he also stated that AI selects music very quickly and accurately. The core advantage of "Zhongyin No.1" lies in personalization. Li Xiaobing introduced that currently the device uses a universal music therapy music library, and the team is developing an AI music model that can generate personalized music adjustments based on user preferences in the future, "just like the traditional Chinese medicine 'one person, one prescription'. In addition, the device will be available on mobile apps in the future, and users can start using it by simply wearing headphones without relying on professional headbands. It may become possible to perform music therapy at home on their own. Wang Guang believes that if "Zhongyin No.1" is to become a convenient and reusable auxiliary music therapy tool in the future, the hardware and interaction details should be closer to daily use. He hopes that wearing this product will automatically connect and calibrate without too many steps that require self judgment. Another participant hopes that AI music therapists can become a "readily available emotional first aid kit", "especially when faced with small emotions in life that do not require specialized help from psychotherapists but will gradually accumulate, it can quickly help me sort out and stabilize my emotions". Music is the most gentle and powerful way of neural regulation. With the support of brain computer interfaces, it will truly possess therapeutic capabilities, and music will become a part of precision medicine. ”Li Xiaobing introduced that the Central Conservatory of Music has an Artificial Intelligence Center, an Electronic Music Center, and a Music Therapy Center. Music therapy has a history of more than 20 years at the university. "With the development of artificial intelligence, the Music Therapy Center has also upgraded to include neuroscience in related research. Traditional music therapy is often used as an adjunct to psychotherapy and is applied in professional settings such as medical institutions. Therapists first communicate with clients to understand their physical and mental condition, emotional state, and music preferences; Based on the evaluation results, develop a music assisted therapy plan; After treatment, adjust the follow-up treatment plan based on feedback from visitors and observation of their changes. Li Xiaobing said that traditional music therapy relies on the therapist's subjective judgment, while "Yangyin No.1" uses a dual dimensional evaluation of "physiological data+subjective description", which not only "listens to you", but also "looks at your physiological reactions". He revealed that the team has accumulated 6 years of experimental data and even conducted basic research on music and neural responses in monkeys. Currently, they are collaborating with relevant institutions such as Peking Union Medical College and Tsinghua University to use the equipment for clinical trials in insomnia, anxiety, and other scenarios. Privacy is a basic security requirement for psychotherapists by patients, and the privacy and security requirements for AI music therapists are only increasing and not decreasing. The students also believe that the device should clearly inform the user how to process and protect the data, in order to provide more peace of mind. The "15th Five Year Plan" proposes to promote "brain computer interfaces" and other technologies as new economic growth points. The innovative device "Zhongyin No.1" is being promoted for industrialization. Team member Wang Wenxiao introduced that they plan to declare it as a Class II medical device. Currently, the school is promoting the process of transforming scientific research achievements and forming an ethics expert group to study issues such as data privacy and emotional intervention boundaries. We are studying the perceptual mechanisms of music, investigating the plasticity effects of music on the brain, and quantifying music therapy. I hope that 'Zhongyin No.1' can truly address social needs, improve pain relief, sleep, emotions, and other issues. ”Li Xiaobing said. (New Society)