Through the startup Neuralink, Elon Musk has the ambition to create implantable chips to be implanted in the human brain. But in the process of development, Musk's ambition has killed dozens of monkeys.
To test the chip, Neuralink implanted it in the brains of pigs and monkeys, before being clinically tested in human brains. Apparently, there were 15 monkeys who died after their heads were implanted with these implanted chips.
The claim comes from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an animal rights organization that said it received reports that the monkeys in the experiment were experiencing extreme suffering as a result of inadequate care and highly invasive head implants.
The research in question took place at a facility associated with the University of California, Davis. PCRM said they obtained a 700-page document consisting of notes from the vet and a necropsy report.
The document relates to 23 monkeys owned by Neuralink, which were housed and studied at the UC Davis facility between 2017 and 2020. 15 of the 23 monkeys died, and the seven monkeys that survived were transferred to the Neuralink facility in 2020.
"Almost every monkey with an implant in his head suffered from quite worrying health effects," said Jeremy Beckham, director of research advocacy at PCRM, as quoted by Consequence, Monday (14/2/2022).
The Neuralink chip was inserted through a hole made in the monkey's skull. A monkey whose brain had a chip implanted had a skin infection and had to be put to death.
Another monkey lost its fingers and toes, possibly from self-mutilation or other trauma, and had to be put to death. The third monkey vomited immediately after the operation and a few days later collapsed from exhaustion. An autopsy found the monkey suffered from a brain haemorrhage.
In its report to the US Department of Agriculture, PCRM accused Neuralink and UC Davis of violating the Animal Welfare Act. PCRM also plans to file a lawsuit against UC Davis.
"These highly invasive implants and associated hardware, which are inserted into the brain after drilling holes in the animal skulls, have resulted in repeated infections in the animals, significantly endangering their health, as well as the integrity of the study," PCRM said in its report.
Neuralink once used experimental monkeys to show off their progress. Last year, they released a video of a monkey playing a mind-controlled game of Pong.
Musk previously said the chip is expected to help paralyzed people to use their phones with the help of their minds, until they return to walking. Neuralink plans to conduct clinical trials of this chip in humans by the end of 2022.