Elon Musk’s Neuralink Brain Implant Firm Sued For Allegedly Harming Monkeys

In April last year, Neuralink founder Elon Musk shared a video of its brain-chip technology in action, in which a nine-year old macaque monkey played a Pong-style video game without the use of a controller.

While it wowed the world when it premiered, it now seems that the truth behind the brain implant may not be as monkey-friendly as it first appeared to be.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a lawsuit against Neuralink, alleging its testing methods have caused harm to macaque monkeys at the University of California, Davis, resulting in severe health issues, or in some cases, even death.

According to WFLA, the committee is seeking access to the lab’s records, including pictures and videos of the monkeys during the tests.

Additionally, it filed a complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture, deeming the company in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.

“Pretty much every single monkey that had had implants put in their head suffered from pretty debilitating health effects,” said the PCRM’s Research Advocacy Director, Jeremy Beckham. 

“They were, frankly, maiming and killing the animals,” he added. 

Consequence reported that the brain chips were implanted into the monkeys’ brains by drilling holes into their skulls. This resulted in one subject having to be put down following a severe skin infection. 

Another primate was found to have missing fingers and toes, “possibly from self-mutilation or some other unspecified trauma,” and was eventually euthanized. Others collapsed from exhaustion or fatigue and suffered brain hemorrhages. 

“Many, if not all, of the monkeys experienced extreme suffering as a result of inadequate animal care and the highly invasive experimental head implants during the experiments,” said the PCRM.

In response to the allegations, UC Davis issued a statement, saying: “We strive to provide the best possible care to animals in our charge. Animal research is strictly regulated, and UC Davis follows all applicable laws and regulations, including those of the US Department of Agriculture.” 

It now remains to be seen if the PCRM will be granted access to Neuralink and UC Davis’ records, and if those records will back up claims of animal mistreatment. 

[via WFLA and Consequence, cover image via Neuralink]