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| Musk brain chip company is under investigation for animal cruelty |
Billionaire Elon Musk's Neuralink, which specializes in brain chip research, faces a federal investigation today for tampering with animals used in experiments, according to a new report from Reuters.
Reuters reported that the US Department of Agriculture's inspector general recently launched an investigation into the company. The agency said it was not clear the scope of the investigation, which focused on potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
In interviews with Reuters with more than 20 current and former Neuralink employees, she detailed a range of animal welfare issues. These reports included that in one trial the wrong device was inserted into 25 out of 60 pigs, while in another trial the device was inserted into the wrong vertebrae of different pigs, resulting in the death of one of the pigs to alleviate his condition. to the end. .
Neuralink aims to develop ways in which the human brain interacts directly with computers to treat a range of neurological disorders and even help paralyzed people walk or become blind.
To date, the company has conducted several public demonstrations of its technology on animals, including a monkey using its brain to play table tennis on a computer and another using a chip in its brain to type on a computer.
It is not uncommon for animals used in scientific experiments to be killed after an experiment is completed, so even an autopsy can provide more data. However, current and former Neuralink employees interviewed by Reuters said that failing the test could lead to too many deaths due to frequent retesting. It can also cause the data received to be less accurate.
Reuters reports that Neuralink has killed about 1,500 animals since 2018, but none of this is conclusive evidence of wrongdoing. The agency even found that the company had passed all USDA inspections, but employees reportedly raised concerns. Within the company, Musk's pursuit of rapid progress has created an environment of unprepared, overworked employees who struggle to meet deadlines.
Musk has reportedly tried to motivate employees to work faster, including asking them to pretend they have a bomb in their heads. According to Reuters, the CEO also wrote in an email in February of this year: “Overall, we're not moving fast enough. It makes me crazy.”
As for Musk, he announced that he is optimistic that Neuralink can start human trials in the near future and recently expressed his hope that the device will be installed in the human brain within the next six months, although he hopes for 2020. Then 2021, then this year.
Neuralink has previously been criticized for its treatment of animals. Earlier this year, a nonprofit called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which opposes the use of animals in medical experiments, claimed that in a study funded by Neuralink, UCLA scientists manipulated monkeys to participate in a... experiment. Neuralink has responded to the allegations, saying that UCLA's facilities and care meet and will continue to meet federal standards.