Insiders Reveal Alarming Allegations of Animal Cruelty in Elon Musk's Neuralink Research

According to a report by Reuters, Elon Musk's Neuralink has been accused of an "obvious conflict of interest" by populating its animal-testing regulatory committee with staff who could potentially profit from the approval of its brain implant.

Neuralink is currently conducting animal testing on its brain implant before moving on to human trials, with the hopes of improving human intelligence, enabling paralyzed individuals to walk, and restoring sight to the blind. However, 19 out of the 22 members of the animal-research oversight board are Neuralink employees who receive equity in the company.

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If the implant receives regulatory approval, these staff members could benefit financially. The company has been testing the implant's ability to translate a person's thoughts into computer language and Musk has previously announced plans to make it available as early as June.

According to federal law, certain animal research facilities are required to establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to oversee and regulate animal testing.

However, a recent Reuters report revealed that as of late last year, 19 out of the 22 committee members at Neuralink were also company employees, based on an internal document obtained by Reuters. While the law only requires one committee member to be unaffiliated with the research facility, Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, who has studied brain implants at Duke University for almost 30 years, stated that Neuralink has an "obvious conflict of interest."

This is because Neuralink employees typically receive equity in the company, as confirmed by job postings and interviews with five current and former workers. Two employees also revealed that senior-level staff could potentially earn millions of dollars if the brain implant is approved by regulators.

A dozen animal research and bioethics experts consulted by Reuters expressed that it is uncommon for IACUC members to have such direct financial interests.

Insider's request for comment on the matter was not immediately responded to by Neuralink, as it was sent outside of US working hours. Additionally, Reuters noted that the composition of the board overseeing animal testing at Neuralink may have changed since late last year.

In 2020, Neuralink conducted a live demonstration showcasing its ability to wirelessly transmit brain activity data from a pig with a surgically implanted chip. A year later, the company shared a video that purportedly showed a monkey playing the video game "Pong" using only its mind thanks to the implant.

However, last February, an animal-rights group filed a complaint with the Department of Agriculture alleging mistreatment of the monkeys involved in Neuralink's research. The group obtained veterinary records and autopsy reports that suggested that 23 monkeys had experienced "extreme suffering as a result of inadequate animal care and the highly invasive experimental head implants during the experiments."

In response to these claims, Neuralink stated in a blog post that it is "absolutely committed to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible."