The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched an investigation against Elon Musk's Neuralink over animal experiments
Neuralink has found itself at the center of a scandal. The United States Department of Agriculture, at the request of a federal prosecutor, began an investigation against the startup Elon Musk.
Here's What We Know
A few days ago Neuralink held a presentation showing how a monkey with a chip in his brain could type on a computer using the power of thought. Also Ilon Musk promised that within six months the company will begin testing on humans.
Neuralink is developing an implant that will help people with disabilities. In particular, they will be able to use computers. So far, the company is testing the chip on animals, and according to employees, this is happening in a hurry, provoking deaths that could have been avoided.
Reuters has obtained numerous documents and interviews with more than two dozen current and former employees of the company. Neuralink employees claim pressure from Elon Musk to speed up development of the implant. This leads to unsuccessful experiments in which animals die.
It should be noted that American regulations do not specify the number of animals that companies can use in their research. It is also noted that Neuralink has passed all USDA inspections at its facilities.
According to Reuters, the Neuralink implant experiment has killed approximately 1,500 animals since 2018. Sources call the figure an estimate, since the company doesn't keep records of dead animals.
To be fair, the number of dead animals does not indicate that Neuralink is breaking the rules or that the experiments are substandard. However, former and current employees of the company claim that the number of deaths could have been lower had it not been for Musk's demands to speed up development of the implant. Reuters reporters identified four experiments in which human errors occurred. They involved two monkeys and 86 pigs. Because of these errors, which were attributed to inadequate training of the staff, the tests had to be repeated.
The first complaints about the tests came after Neuralink began working with the University of Davis. Earlier this year, the animal rights group filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elon Musk's company was accused of making mistakes during the operations that led to the deaths of two monkeys. The reason was that the surgeon chose the wrong glue. Because of this, the other monkeys began to experience complications after the chips were implanted.
Neuralink admitted that it was forced to kill six monkeys on the advice of university veterinarians because the animals began to experience health problems. The misstep with the wrong adhesive was described as "a complication following the use of a product approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). University officials, however, said the tests were conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
Occasionally, employees have disagreed with Elon Musk's demands to act quickly. For example, a few months ago, the company's specialists refused to carry out the surgery on pigs, because due to the high complexity, the animals would have to stay under anesthesia for a long time, which would threaten their health.
Source: Reuters
