Neuralink company has been working on the brain-computer interface for many years. When placed on the head, it will provide the ability to control electronic devices with the power of thought, restore motor function to paralyzed limbs, and treat neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Now, the unpleasant details that caught the attention of the US authorities have come to light.

Details of the investigation

US federal authorities, including the inspector general of the Department of Agriculture, are investigating animal cruelty. The reason for the audit was employee complaints. According to them, research is being done in a hurry due to the constant pressure from Musk, which leads to unnecessary suffering to animals and a large number of deaths among them. In general, as it emerged from internal documentation during the development of the technology Since 2018, the company has killed nearly 1,500 animals, including sheep, pigs and monkeys..

Reuters received dozens of Neuralink documents containing testimonies from more than 20 former and current employees of the company, along with audio recordings, emails, presentations and reports. received data they don’t directly say that Neuralink is breaking the law. Many companies use animals for research, and US law does not specify how many may be used. Organizations independently determine when and how animals will be used in experiments. According to regulatory documents, Neuralink has passed all inspections of its facilities by the USDA.

Company officials say that Musk is constantly demanding that investigations be expedited, so failed tests must be repeated, leading to even more deaths. The animals’ deaths are allegedly related to the company’s mistakes.

• For example, Neuralink surgeons have been accused of performing unsuccessful operations on monkeys. Experts used the wrong surgical glue twice, causing the death of two monkeys, while others suffered complications from the implants.
• In addition, 25 of the 60 pigs in the study had implants of the wrong size in their heads.
• In another case, staff mistakenly placed the Neuralink device on the wrong vertebrae in two pigs.

Other side

At the same time, the same employees of Neuralink say that the company treats animals well in a sense – much better than in other research centers. According to one of the sources, executives are bragging about building a complete monkey Disneyland at the Texas facility. At the same time, since Musk himself says he doesn’t like using animals for research, the entrepreneur wants to make sure they’re the “happiest animals” in their lives.

• In August 2020, Neuralink experts successfully implanted a wireless version of the neural interface into the brains of two pigs and then removed it without harming the animals.
• In April 2021, the company showed a video featuring a chipped macaque. Thanks to the device, he could play video games by controlling his movements with neural threads attached to his brain.
• In early December, Musk announced that within the next six months, Neuralink will begin testing the Link wearable device on humans.

competitors

Musk’s rivals are much better off. First, US-based Synchron has made further progress in developing its own version of the chip and has received approval to begin human trials as early as 2021. His device allowed paralyzed people to send text messages and write with the power of thought. Second, animal testing in the Synchron case resulted in the deaths of only 80 sheep.