Neuralink shared a statement and video detailing its commitment to animal welfare on Monday, following a wave of criticism after reports surfaced of the company’s mistreatment of monkeys.
Reports unfolded last week saying that UC Davis and Neuralink’s test treatment monkeys faced “extreme suffering” throughout experiments after animal rights activists lodged a lawsuit against the company.
The reports detailed monkeys with missing digits following the implant of the Neuralink chip, adding that many of the monkeys involved had died.
Watch a Monkey with Neuralink Play Pong with its Mind [VIDEO] https://t.co/eW9dpHlZSb
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) April 9, 2021
In the post, Neuralink details its past practices, present practices and its plans for future improvements, noting especially that its work at UC Davis has all been approved by the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
Neuralink explains that the monkeys in early trials may have lost their digits from fights with other monkeys or from other pre-existing conditions.
The company also explained that all of its work is run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and that Neuralink has never received a citation from the agency.
The video discusses Neuralink’s treatment of animals with many of the employed researchers working directly with the pigs.
