Elon Musk’s Neuralink alleged of subjecting monkeys to “extreme suffering”
A national physicians’ association is suing Elon Musk’s Neuralink for allegedly injuring macaque monkeys used in testing at the University of California, Davis.
Elon Musk’s brain-chip company, Neuralink, is reportedly facing a legal challenge from an animal rights group, which accuses the company of subjecting monkeys to “extreme suffering” over years of gruelling experiments.
According to The New York Post, the organisation accuses Neuralink and UC Davis of nine violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which is a federal measure designed to reduce suffering during animal experiments.
According to a complaint filed with the US Department of Agriculture by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Neuralink’s brain chips were implanted in the brains of monkeys during a series of tests at the University of California, Davis, from 2017 to 2020.
15 out of 23 monkeys implanted with Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chips have reportedly died: https://t.co/WrAW6BqU75 pic.twitter.com/oh2giLblLT
— Consequence (@consequence) February 11, 2022
In one case, a monkey was discovered missing some of its fingers and toes, allegedly due to “self-mutilation or some other unspecified trauma.” The monkey was later killed during a “terminal procedure,” according to the group.
In another case, a monkey had holes drilled in its skull and electrodes implanted into its brain, then developed a bloody skin infection and had to be euthanized.
In a third case, a female macaque monkey had electrodes implanted in its brain and then began retching, and gasping.
Musk believes Neuralink’s brain chips will one day make humans hyper-intelligent and allow paralysed people to walk again.
