On December 8, plantbasednews.org reported that Elon Musk’s Neuralink is in the process of being formally investigated by the US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General over animal abuse allegations and violation of the Animal Welfare Act, including the reported death of 1,500 animals due to testing.
Photo credit: Nadezhda Moryak
Excerpts from the story:
“The US-based medical company, founded by Musk in 2016, is in the process of developing a controversial brain implant. The company states that it hopes to help paralyzed people walk again. Musk has also claimed that he is ‘confident’ that Neuralink will cure blindness and other conditions.
“Despite the potential benefits, Neuralink is under fire for reportedly putting progress ahead of animal welfare and prioritizing speed over safety. There have been complaints from former and current employees that animal testing procedures do not align with animal welfare legislation. According to a report, the animals who died include monkeys, sheep, and pigs.
“The number of fatalities is not indicative of welfare violations. But damning accounts from Neuralink staff point to rushed procedures and a disregard for animal lives. Neuralink has been accused of animal cruelty before, with the company denying abuse claims in February this year.
“Musk has stated that he hopes to see the first human brain implants happening in 2023. To make this possible, the US Food and Drug Administration has to grant permission for human trials. This will only come once the government agency is satisfied that animal testing has demonstrated requisite safety levels. Neuralink employees claim that they were consistently hurried and pressured to conduct animal testing that resulted in needless deaths.” (Amy Buxton, plantbasednews.org)
Read the full story here: https://plantbasednews.org/culture/ethics/neuralink-animal-welfare-violations-elon-musk/