Neuralink is a brain implant company founded by Elon Musk. Since the implant technology was announced in 2017, Musk has said several times that clinical trials on humans will be expedited. So far it has only been done on animals like pigs and monkeys. According to a Reuters report, the FDA in the United States has rejected Neuralink's application to begin testing on humans.
According to several staff members contacted by Reuters, the FDA asked Neuralink to resolve various issues before testing could begin. Among them are the safety factors of the Li-ion battery used, the risk of implant wires going to other areas of the brain and more importantly whether the implant can be removed without injuring the user's brain.
Neuralink's goal is to produce an implant that can restore the ability to walk to paralyzed people, restore memory to stroke patients, listen to music directly to the head and perform telepathic communication between people. Musk once said it could be seen as a Fitbit for the brain.
Although Musk has repeatedly said that human trials will begin this year, Neuralink is only seeking approval from the FDA in mid-2022. The company has already been investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture for alleged abuse of laboratory animals. A total of 1500 animals have reportedly died since Neuralink began testing in 2018. The animals used were pigs, monkeys, sheep, and rats.