Communication between Neuralink and a Macaque During a December 2019 Zoonization Experiment: Why one monkey had to be euthanized after the implant broke off

Wired notes a December 2019 experiment outlined in one of the documents saying one monkey had to be euthanized after a piece of Neuralink’s brain implant broke off during the surgical process, leading to infection. Another macaque mentioned — known as Animal 15 — “began to press her head against the floor for no apparent reason” days after receiving the implant, and her condition only went downhill from there:

Representatives of Neuralink did not respond to a request for an interview, even though they did say where the trial will take place.

Neuralink says its implant is not visible when implanted. The neural activity record is made with 64 threads that are each thinner than a human hair.

During the study, the robot will surgically place the implant into a part of the brain that controls movement intention. Once in place, the implant is designed to record and transmit brain signals wirelessly to an app that decodes movement intention.

At a Neuralink “show and tell” last November, Musk spoke about two possible use cases for the implant: to help people with paralysis control tech devices and to restore vision. There was no mention of a vision replacement in the release.

According to the documents, a male monkey died in March 2020 because his cranial implant was loose, and the necropsy shows that it was a mechanical failure.

Last year, Neuralink was accused of breaking the Animal Welfare Act by a complaint filed with the USDA. Neuralink faces an investigation by the US Department of Transportation over allegations that it transported devices that were removed from monkeys’ brains.

According to a former Neuralink employee, the claim that Neuralink animal subjects were close to death already was a blatant fabrication. “We had these monkeys for a year or so before any surgery was performed,” they say. The ex-employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, says up to a year’s worth of behavioral training was necessary for the program, a time frame that would exempt subjects already close to death’s door.

Along with claiming that no monkeys have died because of a Neuralink implant, Musk has said the startup “chose terminal mon[k]eys (close to death already)” as test subjects to “minimize risk to healthy monkeys.” An anonymous former employee says that’s not true.

“They are claiming they are going to put a safe device on the market, and that’s why you should invest,” Ryan Merkley, who leads the Physicians Committee’s research into animal-testing alternatives, tells WIRED. He lies to whitewash what happened in these exploratory studies.

Neuralink Employees: An Apologies to the SEC and to the Physicians’ Commitment on Musk’s Claims

Do you work for Neuralink as a current or former employee? Let us know if we can hear from you. If you use a nonwork phone or computer, speak to Dhruv at [email protected].

The SEC turned down WIRED’s request to comment on the letters. Neuralink did not respond to specific questions about Musk’s claims or a request for comment about the Physicians Committee’s allegations.