What does Elon Musk's Neuralink do? Physician group sues firm for 'mutilating and killing monkeys'
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: A group of physicians has clamied that Elon Musk's brain chip company Neuralink is "mutilating and killing monkeys" to create a "brain-machine interface." Musk plans to hold a 'Show and Tell' event for the company on November 30. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) detailed the gruesome experiments monkeys were put through at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).
The Daily Mail accessed lab notes shared by PCRM that detailed many of the experiments conducted on monkeys who had received implanted electrodes during surgeries. Within the messages, Neuralink's head neurosurgeon Matthew MacDougall's name is shown as the one "running the procedures."
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Reina Pohl, the communication specialist for PCRM, confirmed that the lab notes were provided to the group by UC Davis due to a lawsuit filed against it by PCRM in February. However, it noted that the experiments were conducted by Neuralink employees. The lawsuit reportedly detailed eight experiments conducted at UC Davis, where each monkey was listed with a number.
According to the firm's webiste, "Neuralink is a team of exceptionally talented people. We are creating the future of brain-computer interfaces: building devices now that have the potential to help people with paralysis and inventing new technologies that could expand our abilities, our community, and our world."
The lawsuit says the animals "suffered infections from the implanted electrodes placed in their brains" and an "unapproved substance" known as BioGlue "killed monkeys by destroying portions of their brains." According to PCRM, a team of over 17,000 physicians, the experiments were conducted at UC Davis. Neuralink, it said, paid $1.4 million to use the university's facilities.
Meanwhile, Neuralink said it did conduct tests at the university. It also previously noted that many animals were euthanized during experiments. "As part of this work, two animals were euthanized at planned end dates to gather important histological data, and six animals were euthanized at the medical advice of the veterinary staff at UC Davis," a Neuralink blog post reportedly said.
UC Davis said in a statement, "UC Davis did have a research collaboration with Neuralink, which concluded in 2020. The research protocols were thoroughly reviewed and approved by the campus's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The work was conducted by Neuralink researchers in facilities at the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis. UC Davis staff provided veterinary care including round-the-clock monitoring of experimental animals. When an incident occurred, it was reported to the IACUC, which mandated training and protocol changes as needed."
It added, "Regarding the lawsuit by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, we fully complied with the California Public Records Act in responding to their request. Indeed, additional materials have been supplied to PCRM since the conclusion of the research agreement with Neuralink. 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture, which makes regular inspections, and the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare."