Elon Musk’s many exploits often command media attention. For example, the class-action lawsuits against Tesla, his purchase of Twitter, and his love of Shiba Inu-themed cryptocurrency all grabbed headlines. However, one of his slightly-lesser-known ventures, Neuralink brain implants, recently gained FDA approval to begin clinical trials on humans. Will this “technology of the future” be a miracle cure for paralysis or other disabilities and illnesses? Or is it a disaster waiting to happen?
Neuralink trials killed about 1,500 animals during rushed experiments.
According to Reuters, the brain implant company is under federal investigation for animal-welfare violations. Additionally, internal complaints allege the company rushed their animal tests, causing unnecessary pain and death. The Food and Drug Administration’s approval comes about six months after the US Department of Agriculture Inspector General’s investigation.
The high number of animal deaths doesn’t indicate wrongdoing on its own. However, several Neuralink employees say Musk caused undue fatalities by rushing researchers to finish experiments. Also, researchers told Reuters about a “marred” experiment on 86 pigs and two monkeys due to Musk’s demands. They had to repeat the tests as the mistakes caused by a “pressure cooker” environment made the research unusable.
Brain implants can be an incredible medical tool when appropriately tested.
Science Magazine reports researchers developed a brain implant that allowed a partially paralyzed man to walk after years of immobility. The implant sent signals from the base of his skull to his lower body, helping him walk again. The patient, a Dutch man named Gert-Jan Oskam, became partially paralyzed after a 2011 biking accident in China. The implant also helped bolster Oskam’s physical recovery, as he can now walk with crutches with the device turned off.
Though researchers have conducted similar experiments, this is a significant breakthrough for brain implant technology. However, the authors note that this breakthrough is only a “proof of concept” on a specifically chosen patient. Oskam only had partial paralysis and retained some feeling in his lower extremities. Although, additional research suggests this type of neural implant could also help patients with more severe injuries.
What’s the difference between Neuralink and Oskam’s implant?
Firstly, the implant only helped Oskam walk again after years of intense therapy and highly specified research. He underwent invasive open brain surgery and needed a device removed due to a staph infection. It’s not a “catch-all” miracle that can suddenly cure paralysis or diseases. But that’s never what the researchers intended for the implant.
However, Musk views Neuralink as a miracle device that could change modern medicine as we know it. He said it would treat medical conditions such as obesity, cure anxiety and depression, and even “solve” autism and schizophrenia. Of note, autism is not a medical condition or an illness. Musk’s also said the long-term goal of Neuralink is to allow “superhuman cognition” to combat the rise of AI.
Additionally, Musk said the company only performs animal tests to confirm hypotheses after exhausting their options. He said they are “confirmatory, not exploratory.” However, Reuters says internal company records reference several exploratory surgeries. And three people familiar with Neuralink’s research strongly denied Musk’s claims.
Regardless of how the Neuralink clinical trials go, the technology, called brain-computer interfaces, could genuinely help people. Several other studies and research groups are exploring the technology’s possibilities. However, many legal, security, and ethical concerns remain beyond developing the tech. And according to the Neuroethics Blog by the Emory University Center for Ethics, Neuralink raises several red flags.
