Elon Musk’s startup company, Neuralink, developed a brain implant to try to interface the human brain like a computer or headphones. Its intention is connecting a brain to a computer to be as easy as LASIK surgery to “cure brain ailments and someday help humans compete with artificial intelligence.” Their goal is to have a computer chip, the size of a large coin, implanted into the human brain by a robot surgeon.
The implant would be able to connect to the brain to a smartphone via Bluetooth. This chip was supposed to “fix” autism and schizophrenia. “Neurolink, I think at first, will solve a lot of brain-related diseases,” Said Musk. “Could be anything from, like autism, schizophrenia, memory loss – like, everyone experiences memory loss at certain points in age. Parents can’t remember their kids names, and that kind of thing.”
Approved for Clinical Trial
Yes, the Neuralink was approved by the FDA for a clinical trial in May 2023. It was rejected the year before due to safety concerns.
The clinical trial will test the safety and possibility of this brain implant and it hopes to help patients with paralysis will control a keyboard or computer cursors with their mind.
Musk’s startup company, Neuralink, said on X (Twitter), that quadriplegics due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could qualify.
During this trial, a surgical robot will place the brain computer interface (BCI) impact in the part of the brain that controls movement. The goal of this study is for people who have paralysis to control a keyboard or a computer curser with their minds.
As stated before, the implant will be the size of a large coin and is similar to “a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires,” said Musk.
This isn’t unique to Musk. This type of technology has been in the works since the 1970’s. In 2016, a paralyzed man used BCI to control a robotic arm. He gave the fist bump with President Barack Obama.
The principle is that by monitoring enough brain cells, we can interpret intentions and use this data to control devices such as computers and prosthetic limbs. This technology could enable individuals with spinal cord injuries, for example, to control external devices using only their thoughts.
Ausaf A. Bari, MD, PhD, director of functional and restorative neurosurgery at UCLA
During the trial called Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (PRIME), they will evaluate the safety and functionality of the device and the robot that is manufacturing the implant.
As this study progresses, it’s extremely important to monitor all adverse events related to the implant, risk of infection and observe if the device can be safely implanted and removed.
This study will have a research period of six years.
Safety of Neuralink
In 2022, the FDA rejected Neuralink’s first application for human trials. They had safety concerns like the “potential for the implant’s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain.”
They did receive approval to move forward in May 2023. After the announcement, the not for profit health organization, Phsysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said Neuralink had a “well documented track record of animal cruelty and sloppy scientific studies.”
Animal Creulty
the PCRM said it received “internal records detailing painful, deadly experiments conducted on monkeys by Neuralink.” This led to an investigation by the Federal government.
All Musk had to say was,”No money has died as a result of a Neuralink implant. First our early implants, to minimize risk to healthy moneys, we chose terminal monkeys.”
The investigation determined that was a lie. 15 of 23 monekeys died with the brain implant at the University of California Davis between 2017 and 2020.
An animal rights group also accused researchers of inflicting “extreme suffering” while testing these brain implants for Neuralink.
A complaint was filed with the US Department of Agriculture stating that the PCRM and an animal rights group obtained records showing the torture the monkeys have experienced “extreme suffering as a result of inadequate animal care and the highly invasive experimental head implants during the experiments.”
The records include over 700 pages of documents. This includes veterinary and necropsy (veterinary autopsy) reports via a public records request through the university.
According to the records, there were 23 monkeys owned by Neuralink. They were housed and experimented on at the UCLA Davis facility from 2017 until 2020.
PCRM states that UCLA Davis and Neuralink had nine violations of the Animal Welfare Act. This includes breaches of stipulations tha the researchers minimize pain and distress for the animals. Daily observations of the animals need to take place and researchers have an attending veterinarian to monitor the use of anesthesia.
The PCRM gave examples of incidents were they thought monkeys had really suffered. One monkey had missing fingers and toes “possibly from self mutilation or other unspecified trauma.”
Neuralink used these monkeys in its experiments to advertise their progress.
Neurolink stated in the video that a monkey that was named Pager, had a chip implanted in his brain six weeks prior to the video. In this video, he was given a joystick that was connected to a video game where he moves a cursor to a colored square. When he does this successfully, he is rewarded by a banana smoothie.
Using this monkey to advertise and torturing them without anyone knowing is horrific.
UCLA Davis said that they “thoroughly reviewed and approved” the protocols of Neuralink’s research.
They also said:
”Animal research is strictly regulated and UC Davis follows all applicable laws and regulations including those of the US Department of Agriculture.”
They would not sanction this torture.
It moved away from autism but this is not the point. Those animals did not deserve this.
Will update when more information becomes available.
Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-neuralink-video-monkey-games-pong-brain-chip-2021-4
https://www.verywellhealth.com/neuralink-brain-implant-elon-musk-8401852
Aviva Seigler 