Neuralink criticized: animals allegedly tortured

With Neuralink, billionaire Elon Musk wants to revolutionize the world of medicine. This is to be achieved with a chip inserted in the brain. However, the path to a first product suitable for mass production seems to have left its mark. After the public job advertisement for the management of the first experiments on humans became known, unpleasant details about the animal experiments that have already taken place are now coming to light. Thus the monkeys used thereby are to have suffered under strong pain like an organization of physicians now moniert.

“Monstrous offences against the animal protection law”

In the room are serious accusations against Neuralink and its CEO Elon Musk. During testing of the Brain Computer Interface (BCI), animal test candidates are said to have suffered great agony. The accusations were made by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The physicians, who, according to their name, are concerned about responsible progress in medicine, did not only direct their criticism against Neuralink. The University of Davis, California, which was a partner in the trials, has also been pilloried.

And apparently rightly so. For example, according to the medical committee, as part of the field trials.

“egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act”

have taken place. The association of committed physicians does not want to watch idly and demands consequences. Accordingly, the doctors have sued the University of Davis without further ado.

Like something out of a science fiction movie

Do you know the movie series “Planet of the Apes?” Some people seem to have remembered the dystopia when they saw the first moving images of the animal experiments surrounding Neuralink. Here, a nine-year-old monkey named “Pager” was playing the classic video game Pong. And all this without lifting a finger. Instead, he moved the block, which could be raised or lowered, with the power of his mind. Pager is one of a total of 23 macaques that have been implanted with corresponding brain implants.

Macaques suffered up to ten brain surgeries

Especially in medicine, animal experiments are completely normal. However, animals such as mice are usually used in the process. The accusations brought forth against Neuralink and the University of Davis are certainly likely to be related to the fact that it was monkeys that were used for experiments. If one goes into the details of the experiments, then the extent becomes really clear. Thus not only conditions of unsatisfactory animal care are to have prevailed. On top of that, some of the animals had to endure ten brain surgeries. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine refers to the report on the animal experiments published by the University of Davis itself.

Apparently the responsible persons of the university had already guessed that all this could strike high waves. They did not voluntarily release the documents. Instead, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine took the matter to court and demanded that the research institution hand over the documents. This is according to a report in The Daily Beast. Of course, both the university and Elon Musk are anything but pleased about the accusations. After all, the company is just in the starting blocks to test the chips on humans. Accordingly, they denied the accusations.

Literally a “pipe dream”?

When Elon Musk said a few years ago that pretty soon only electric cars would be on the roads, many reacted by shaking their heads. If one now takes a look at our road traffic, those must admit to having been taught better. But whether Tesla can really be compared with Neuralink is more than questionable. After all, what the visionary Musk is planning with his brain chips sounds abstruse in parts. These are not only supposed to restore sight to the blind.

Paralyzed people should also be able to move again without a wheelchair. But the chips should also have a lot to offer beyond their medical intentions. For example, the company plans to use BCI to create an interface to a computer or smartphone. This would allow music to be streamed into the brain, for example. According to experts, however, this technology is still a long way from being fully developed. We are curious to see what results the first tests on humans will reveal.