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Billionaire Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, focused on brain implants, revealed that it has received approval from an independent review board to initiate recruitment for a human brain implant trial aimed at assisting individuals dealing with paralysis. This development follows the company’s prior announcement in May, where it disclosed its collaboration with the FDA for commencing human trials.
As stated in a blog post by the California-based neurotech firm, the primary objective of these human trials is to evaluate the safety and functionality of its brain-computer interface (BCI) named “the Link.” The goal of Neuralink’s BCI and the company at large is to develop implantable devices that empower users to control various functions with their thoughts. Although this may seem like science fiction, Neuralink is not the sole entity working on brain interface technology, according to Mashable.
“The initial aim of our BCI is to enable individuals to manipulate a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone,” stated the company in its announcement. However, while this is a promising step forward for some, Mashable warns that Neuralink’s “first-in-human clinical trials” could pose significant risks for patients.
Musk and Neuralink have already faced substantial criticism for their experimentation with “brain chips” on laboratory animals. In February 2022, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a complaint alleging that Neuralink conducted “invasive and lethal brain experiments.” By December of that year, federal authorities were investigating the company for potential breaches of animal welfare standards. Documents indicated that since 2018, the company had euthanized approximately 1,500 animals, including rats, monkeys, pigs, and mice.
Neuralink vigorously contested these grave accusations, asserting that the rhesus macaque monkeys in their care were treated with utmost respect and care, as reported by Mashable. Musk even took to X (previously known as Twitter) in the past week to state that “no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.”
The announcement did not specify the commencement date for these trials but did mention that individuals with “quadriplegia due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)” may be eligible to participate, according to Mashable.
