Elon Musk's brain implant company, Neuralink, is said to be facing a federal probe regarding animal welfare, The Verge reported.
A probe was opened by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) inspector general that is looking into the potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act, according to Reuters.
A Series of 'Unfortunate' Experiments?
It's unclear how wide-ranging the probe is, but there are details about a number of concerns over animal welfare raised in interviews with over 20 current and former Neuralink employees. In one experiment, 25 out of 60 pigs allegedly had the wrong size of device installed as part of the study.
Another experiment allegedly had two separate pigs with devices installed on the wrong vertebra, which led to the euthanization of the pigs to end their suffering.
Although it's common practice that animals are killed following scientific tests so the autopsies can provide further data. However, former and current employees said that testing mistakes could lead to excess deaths by requiring the tests to be repeated. In addition, they can compromise the resulting data, which will make it less accurate. So far, Neuralink has killed around 1,500 animals since 2018.
There is no hard evidence to provide this, but there were raised concerns internally that Musk's drive for quick progress has created an unhealthy environment involving a stressed staff that is under-prepared.
Ambitious Plans for Neuralink
Musk has been vocal about the potential for Neuralink to start human trials in the near future. In fact, he said that they hope to install the device in a human's head within the next six months.
Not A First
Neuralink had already faced criticism for its animal treatments when a nonprofit, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), allegedly said that the monkeys used in the treatment were treated inhumanely.
What is Neuralink?
Neuralink's goal is to develop ways for the human brain to interface directly with computers to help treat some neurological conditions. It also aims to help paralyzed people walk. So far, the company has made several public demos of animals, which include a monkey playing Pong with its brain.
Animal Treatments in Scientific Experiments
There are some ethical concerns raised by using animals in scientific experiments, commonly known as animal rights groups, who don't want animals to be used for purposes other than for food or pets.
They follow what is known as speciesism, which is the belief that human life has unique value, which can lead to human beings being higher in the sphere of moral value than non-human animals. This can lead to speciesism being a prejudice that denies the rights of individuals of other species.
However, it's also worth noting that animals are used to test different products and treatments, which can help improve human health.
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