Elon Musk’s brain implant start-up company, the ‘Neuralink’, has recently been criticized for animal testing. Over 8 animals have been killed in this testing phase, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
Originally founded in 2016 before going public in the next year. Elon Musk’s company plans to create a wired chip, an implant directly into a person’s skull. The intent is to install 1024 electrodes that monitor activity and stimulate the brain. This included allowing people paralyzed or unable to communicate to interact through the implant. The company also seeks to create a robot that will perform automated implanting.
Credit: Neuralink
From Dusk to Davis
The company has officially admitted to euthanizing at least 8 monkeys, but other records have that number as high as 15. Neuralink has denied allegation of animal abuse, however. They have called the UDSA’s and other complaints ‘misleading.’ This statement has not satisfied the compani’s most staunch critic.
“Neuralink’s recent blog post defending its use of 23 monkeys for surgical brain implant experiments doesn’t change the horrific treatment that the public records reveal, Monkeys used by Neuralink at UC Davis did have portions of their skulls removed and devices screwed to their skulls.”
Said a spokesperson for PCRM. The committee also hold that they put the animals in extremely abusive conditions before the euthanising took place, including lobotomies and self-mutilations.
According to Fortune magazine, Neuralink has fallen into a pattern of impossible deadlines, blame, and complete lack of authority or responsibility. Elon Musk himself has been notably absent from Neuralink’s development and timeline. The company has since moved its headquarters from UC Davis to Fremont, California. Previously, UC Davis had come under fire for failing to release records that prove animal abuse at its facility.
Credit: Neuralink
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