AUSTIN, Texas — Neuralink, a biotech startup founded by Elon Musk, is being accused of subjecting monkeys to illegal mistreatment while testing brain implants under research by the company and the University of California, Davis.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a national nonprofit group with more than 17,000 doctor members, filed a complaint with the USDA on Thursday, claiming the researchers are violating the federal Animal Welfare Act related to invasive and deadly brain experiments conducted on 23 monkeys.
The PCRM claims that UC Davis received more than $1.4 million from Neuralink to carry out these experiments. Its complaint is based on around 600 pages of documents released after the committee filed a public records lawsuit in 2021.
The committee is also suing to get photos and video released, claiming that most of the animals had portions of their skulls removed to implant electrodes in their brains as part of Neuralink's development of a "Brain machine interface."
In a press release, the committee also claimed that UC Davis staff failed to provide dying monkeys with adequate veterinary care, used an unapproved substance known as "Bioglue" that killed monkeys by destroying parts of their brains and failed to provide for the "psychological well-being" of monkeys used in experiments. The PCRM believes macaque monkeys involved were caged alone, had steel posts crewed into their skulls, suffered facial trauma and seizures following brain implants, and had recurring infections at implant sites. It also claims that, in some cases, both UC Davis and Neuralink euthanized monkeys before they were even used in the experiment.
“UC Davis may have handed over its publicly-funded facilities to a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean it can evade transparency requirements and violate federal animal welfare laws,” said Jeremy Beckham, MPA, MPH, research advocacy coordinator with the PCRM. “The documents reveal that monkeys had their brains mutilated in shoddy experiments and were left to suffer and die. It’s no mystery why Elon Musk and the university want to keep photos and videos of this horrific abuse hidden from the public.”
According to its careers page, Neuralink is currently hiring in the Austin, Texas, and Fremont, California, areas, including for positions such as animal care specialists and a licensed veterinary technician.
UC Davis provided the following statement Friday afternoon:
UC Davis did have a research collaboration with Neuralink, which concluded in 2020. The research protocols were thoroughly reviewed and approved by the campus's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The work was conducted by Neuralink researchers in facilities at the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis. UC Davis staff provided veterinary care including round-the-clock monitoring of experimental animals. When an incident occurred, it was reported to the IACUC, which mandated training and protocol changes as needed.
Regarding the lawsuit by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, we fully complied with the California Public Records Act in responding to their request. Indeed, additional materials have been supplied to PCRM since the conclusion of the research agreement with Neuralink.
We strive to provide the best possible care to animals in our charge. Animal research is strictly regulated and UC Davis follows all applicable laws and regulations including those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which makes regular inspections, and the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. The UC Davis animal care program, including the California National Primate Research Center, is accredited by AAALAC International, a nonprofit organization.
As a national primate research center, the CNPRC is a resource for both public and private sector researchers.
To read Neuralink's response to the allegations, click here.
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