Neuralinkhas leaped into damage ascendence to support itstreatmentof test rapscallion that fauna rights groups claim were subjugate to straining and horrific status .
On Tuesday , Elon Musk ’s mind - melding brain - estimator interface speculation release a lengthystatementpushing back against recent criticism from beast right grouping take the company ’s experiments on monkeys lead to “ extreme hurt , ” and more than a dozen deaths .
“ late articles have raise questions around Neuralink ’s enjoyment of research animals at the University of California , Davis Primate Center , ” Neuralink said . “ It is important to note that these accusations number from people who fight down any habit of fauna in research . ”
A Rhesus Monkey takes shelter in his enclosure as rain begins to fall, at the Drayton Park Manor zoo, 3 March 2025.Photo: NTI. (Getty Images)
The company went on to defend its practices , claiming brute examination was ethically required for all new aesculapian devices prior to human trials . Though human Neuralink trials likely wo n’t occur for some time , recent hiringreportssuggest the ship’s company is definitely moving in that direction . Neuralink says it has yet to find a single citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its treatment of animals .
“ At Neuralink , we are absolutely attached to working with animals in the most humanistic and ethical way possible . ”
Neuralink ’s statement comes less than one week after an beast right group holler Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine publicized a ailment filed with the US Department of Agriculture . That complaint , which at prison term read like a dystopian sci - fi variant of Upton Sinclair ’s The Jungle , provides horrifying , ghastly details of monkeys allegedly implanted with Neuralink devices at a University of California , Davis web site between 2017 and 2020 .
As the New York Postnotes , some of the scamp outfit with the twist allegedly experienced utmost vomit and exhaustion while others , overcome by strain , allegedly mutilated themselves ( Neuralink now claims these misplace fingers could have ensue from “ conflicts with other monkey . ” ) Another monkey reportedly germinate a skin contagion after having Neuralink ’s gadget practise into its head . In all three of those example , the monkeys were allegedly euthanized .
“ The documents reveal that rascal had their brains mutilated in misleading experiments and were left to suffer and die , ” PCRM Research Coordinators Beckham aver in aninterviewwith Futurism . “ It ’s no mystery why Elon Musk and the university require to keep pic and picture of this horrific insult enshroud from the public . ”
Neuralink spoke directly to the dying monkey charge in its affirmation , claiming it had first perform its surgical procedure on cadavers before moving on to “ final procedures ” where alive test subjects are euthanized following operating room . According to Neuralink , those scamp are deemed fit for surgery by a veterinarian but may have had pre - term that could touch on their quality of life history . The company refute the 15 death figure , claiming alternatively a aggregate of eight monkeys were euthanized at the UC Davis trial land site , with four of those demise perhaps grow from infections associated with the Neuralink twist . Neuralink go on to unlade some of the blame to UC Davis .
“ While the facilities and care at UC Davis did and continue to foregather federally mandate standards , we utterly wanted to meliorate upon these standard as we transitioned animals to our in - house facility , ” the company read .
Neuralink was founded in 2016 with the cheeseparing - term destination of explicate an implantable microchip that could use electrode to theoretically treat a assortment of neurological diseases , including paralysis . Though focalize primarily on aesculapian lotion , for now , Musk has made lofty claims about Neuralink ’s future potential , even going as far as toarguethe gimmick could raise human intelligence information and dissemble as a bulwark against contrived intelligence activity master . suppose singularity , but with bloodier scalp .
If you ca n’t drum em , join emNeuralink delegacy statement
— Elon Musk ( @elonmusk)July 9 , 2020
Neuralink gained its middling share of cyberspace fame last yr when it released avideoallegedly demonstrating how ipits equipment had taught a monkey to play a Pong - like telecasting biz using only its mind . The video confessedly look telling until you take in scientist have used Einstein - curb potato chip to learn monkeys how to biz for over two decades .
“ Brain - ascendancy of computer cursor by monkeys is not Modern , ” University of Newcastle professor Andrew JacksontoldInsider at the time .
Neuralink is n’t the only one betting adult on brain - computer interfaces . small-scale business firm areexperimentingwith multiple variations of the tech in both aesculapian andconsumercontexts . Acumen Researchexpectsthe global brain - figurer interface market as a whole could strive a hefty evaluation of $ 3.48 billion by 2027 .
Still , there ’s a big difference between these tamer , more incremental gains as medical devices , and Musk ’s more sci - fi - tinged , transhumanist rhetoric . That feasibility gap has some expert , like University of Pennsylvania Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Anna Wexler skeptical .
“ What concerns me in the near condition are the potentially assumed claims , ” Wexler tell in aninterviewwith Observer last year . “ Neuralink ’s employees are scientist and technologist work out on evolve what seems to be a legitimate equipment for aesculapian purposes . Yet , the party ’s Centennial State - father is lovesome of making highfaluting and declamatory claim about the potential for that same technology to cure all diseases and allow world to merge with AI . ”
Engaging in potentially deadly and fell animal research to train life - altering medical equipment for humans who need it is one matter , but those same tactics depart looking significantly more sadistic if they ’re done in the service of a vaporware product built on false promises and podcast promotions .
DavisElon MuskMonkeyNeuralink
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