Neuralink was harshly criticized by an animal rights group because billionaire Elon Musk’s company used monkeys for testing and they ‘suffer excruciating pain’.
Accordingly, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and the nonprofit Animal Protection & Plant Food Promotion have jointly filed a complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture, alleging that Researchers from Neuralink and partners at the University of Davis (part of the University of California) abused 23 monkeys with a brain chip test.
The complaint alleges that the monkeys experienced “extreme pain due to inadequate care during transplant experiment ” and that 15 monkeys were killed.
As for Neuralink, they admitted that eight monkeys were killed in the experiments, but denied that they suffered. Not only that, but the company also expressed that using animals for research “is essential for achieving social progress”.
“All animals used in experiments at the University of Davis have been approved by the Animal Care and Use Commission (IACUC) under federal law. This includes medical assistance, post-operative care, and decisions. Finally, they are all supervised by experienced veterinarians,” Neuralink said, adding, “There is an absolute commitment to using animals in the most humane and ethical way possible.”
According to billionaire Elon Musk, the brain chip implant will serve in the medical industry, helping patients with paralysis of the limbs can interact easily with digital devices. This technology led the company to develop its own robotic system to ensure the device was implanted in the exact position it was intended to be.
However, the project also faced many criticisms and doubts right from the first testing stages.
