Did Elon Musk kill healthy monkeys to advance his company’s research? The head of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter (renamed X) has once again defended himself against accusations of animal abuse, related to the activities of his startup Neuralink. A defense that did not necessarily convince Internet users.
Neuralink is one of Elon Musk’s latest crazy projects: a startup founded in 2016 to create a brain implant that allows you to communicate with machines through thought. The billionaire promises that his implant will eventually make it possible to control machines simply using electrical impulses from the brain, but also to solve multiple physical and psychological problems: speech disorders, motor disabilities, etc.
But, for the moment, the result is still far from the founder’s promises. Tests of the implant in humans, announced years ago as close by Elon Musk, have not yet officially begun. And above all, the company is the target of several investigations by US authorities, one of them for animal abuse.
Deaths caused by the Neuralink implant?
Of at least 23 monkeys used for Neuralink experiments between 2017 and 2020, only 7 survived, according to a complaint filed in February 2022 by the Professionals Committee for Responsible Medicine. But Elon Musk denies any responsibility: “No monkey has died due to the Neuralink implant,” said the founder of Neuralink in a tweet.
The billionaire continues: “For the first versions of our implants, to minimize the risks to healthy monkeys, we chose dying monkeys (already on the verge of death).” Statements that have not convinced all Internet users. “Okay so the Neuralink chip killed sick monkeys, thanks for the clarification,” one user joked.
Monkeys are not the only victims of Neuralink testing. According to Reuters, since 2018 the company has euthanized nearly 1,500 animals for research purposes. Among them, 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys.
This procedure is not the only legal threat hanging over Neuralink. The company is also the subject of an investigation by the US Department of Transportation, which suspects that the company has transported hazardous biological waste (implants extracted from the brains of dead monkeys) without respecting health regulations.
Source: BFM TV
