Elon Musk's Neuralink has concerning lack of transparency and could be vulnerable to hacking, ethicists warn - Nueralink criticism
- Shidonna Raven
- 32 minutes ago
- 2 min read
February 19, 2024
Source: Live Science
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
Why is Neuralink drawing criticism?
Neuralink received FDA approval for human trials in May 2023. Musk announced the company's first human trial on his social media platform, X — formerly Twitter — in January 2024.
Information about the implant, however, is scarce, aside from a brochure aimed at recruiting trial subjects. Neuralink did not register at ClinicalTrials.gov, as is customary, and required by some academic journals.
Some scientists are troubled by this lack of transparency. Sharing information about clinical trials is important because it helps other investigators learn about areas related to their research and can improve patient care. Academic journals can also be biased toward positive results, preventing researchers from learning from unsuccessful experiments.
Fellows at the Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank, have warned that Musk's brand of "science by press release, while increasingly common, is not science." They advise against relying on someone with a huge financial stake in a research outcome to function as the sole source of information.
When scientific research is funded by government agencies or philanthropic groups, its aim is to promote the public good. Neuralink, on the other hand, embodies a private equity model, which is becoming more common in science. Firms pooling funds from private investors to back science breakthroughs may strive to do good, but they also strive to maximize profits, which can conflict with patients' best interests.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated animal cruelty at Neuralink, according to a Reuters report, after employees accused the company of rushing tests and botching procedures on test animals in a race for results. The agency's inspection found no breaches, according to a letter from the USDA secretary to lawmakers, which Reuters reviewed. However, the secretary did note an "adverse surgical event" in 2019 that Neuralink had self-reported.
In a separate incident also reported by Reuters, the Department of Transportation fined Neuralink for violating rules about transporting hazardous materials, including a flammable liquid.
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