Neuralink's efforts to bring a brain-computer interface still have a way to go. According to a new report from Reuters, Elon Musk's startup was apparently denied authorization by the FDA in 2022 to conduct human trials using the same devices that, well, killed 1,500 animals. Those tests, according to internal reports, lead to needless suffering and death of test subjects.
Current and former Neuralink employees told Reuters: "The agency's major safety concerns involved the device's lithium battery; the potential for the implant's tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue."
The FDA is concerned that, because of the minuscule size of the electrical leads, they are at risk of breaking off during removal (or even during use). At Neuralink's open house last November, Musk claimed the company would secure FDA approval "within six months," basically by this spring. That's looking increasingly unlikely.
Previously:
- Elon Musk and Neuralink Announce... Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope NOPE Nope No.
- Neuralink Aims to Market a Brain-Computer Interface Product Within 4 Years
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Elon Musk's latest venture aims to bring a product to market within four years, but it could be additional decade before healthy people get "neural lace" brain implants:
Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk said his latest company Neuralink Corp is working to link the human brain with a machine interface by creating micron-sized devices.
Neuralink is aiming to bring to the market a product that helps with certain severe brain injuries due to stroke, cancer lesion etc, in about four years, Musk said in an interview with website Wait But Why.
"If I were to communicate a concept to you, you would essentially engage in consensual telepathy," Musk said in the interview published on Thursday. http://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html
Reuters links to an incredibly long piece with some possibly informative stick figure drawings.
Previously: Elon Musk Launches Company to Link Your Brain to a Computer
Elon Musk and Neuralink Announce... Nope Nope Nope nope Nope NOPE nope No.:
As a journalist, I'm supposed to approach news stories with an unbiased attitude. Just the facts, ma'am. But sometimes, that's not possible. When it comes to Elon Musk and Neuralink's desire to implant tech in our heads, I can only say NOPE. HECK NO. But hey, human trials are just six months away.
I will try, however, to get into the facts of the story with some seriousness. Neuralink, if you're unfamiliar, is one of Elon Musk's many companies. And in some ways, you could almost view it as a crossroads between those companies. If Tesla (his EV company) is a technology that we get into, and Twitter (his social media company) is a technology that broadcasts our thoughts, then Neuralink is a technology that gets into us and broadcasts our thoughts.
No seriously. The idea here is that Neuralink will implant an interface device into your skull—and into your brain—that can wirelessly connect to computers. You could then think at a computer to type out messages.
To start with, the company already mentioned releasing an iOS app that could Bluetooth connect to the "Link" device in your head to allow you "wireless" and "hands-free" control. Presumably, you'd be holding the phone while not using your fingers to type on it, so you could see that it worked correctly. That might be a boon to someone with disabilities that prevent the usual method of typing messages, but then again, other options already exist and don't require brain surgery.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by looorg on Saturday March 04, @07:00PM (3 children)
I would assume that that would be true for a lot of animals used in testing or scientific experimentation. So that can't really be the core or main reason can it? It's just that they can't really complain or do much about it.
So won't/can't they just go to a country with more relaxed testing requirements and procedures then? Or are there not any willing human lab rats that could be persuaded by the almighty $$$? In a country with less regulations that is.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 04, @07:23PM (1 child)
IRBs tend to focus on minimizing or eliminating _needless_ suffering and death. Not all suffering or death of lab animals is needless (as horrible as this sounds) but in many cases, it can be eliminated or reduced. As much as IRBs are derided for being 'No"-factories, we are way better off with them existing, rather than them not existing. And as a moral creature, it is incumbent upon us to attempt to eliminated and reduce suffering and death. It is incumbent upon us to think about the kind of suffering we may impose, and to come up with ways to get rid of it.
If they can't do that for/to their test animals, then that's an indication of what they'll do to their eventual/future customers as well. But then again, _that_ probably wouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
If the musky one so dearly wants to make this happen, how about him hooking himself and everyone working for that company up?
Actually, I take that back, because regardless of how much actual suffering they would experience, they'd whitewash it anyway...
There's something to be said about scientists being to busy with trying to figure out how to do the thing, rather than taking some time thinking about whether they should do the thing...
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Saturday March 04, @08:11PM
Well, if it kills animals, it likely can kill humans.
And why doesn't Musk try it himself?
Perhaps Musk doesn't wish to die? At least, not here on Earth?
(Score: 4, Touché) by mcgrew on Sunday March 05, @02:52AM
Less regulation? The US has been shedding regulations like a dog sheds fur since Reagan.
Try Haiti, they don't even have a government.
Carbon, The only element in the known universe to ever gain sentience
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 04, @08:34PM (2 children)
> ..the minuscule size of the electrical leads, they are at risk of breaking off during removal
Why not make these out of something that slowly dissolves (or erodes), at least for all these initial experiments. Of course the experiments would have a finite end date, but at least the subjects would be spared bits of metal wire floating around inside them.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 04, @10:04PM (1 child)
Because that costs money, man... Money that could be returned to shareholders after fucking over the dumb fucks that paid for these things.
If one believes that there is more to this than "let's see how crazy of an idea I can get people to pay for/how much money I can extract from bigger fools" then that particular one is living a pipe dream.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 04, @10:26PM
Um, sure, yeah. Follow the money, I get it.
In this case the goal is to get FDA approval to run human trials. If a dissolving wire (like dissolving surgical stitches) would enable the trials to be approved, Neuralink would be that much closer to making money.
(Score: -1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 04, @11:28PM (2 children)
He went against the government and popular groupthink.
Suddenly his cars need recalls, his implants don't get approved. Government agencies are investigating.
The bastion of truth known as "the media" are writing hit piece after hit piece.
He is no longer electric car jesus. Now he is public enemy of the tribe. Might as well change his name to trump.
Sincerely,
Your local alt-right, homophobe, transphobe, wrong side of hysteria, chud, and turbo-n@zi. (Feel free to add whatever other slur you want since I don't subscribe to your worldview)
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 05, @01:38AM (1 child)
In other words, someone looked behind the curtain and saw a charlatan.
Don't blame anyone but yourself if you haven't been paying attention to all of the stories about all of his many court cases over the years and this all seems like a big surprise to you now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 06, @12:23AM
Ahh.. so he is the only one. Good to know.
Seems they only go looking for charlatans when they are of the wrong political party and let the others off.
The real surprise would be finding someone with good intentions.
(Score: 5, Touché) by RedGreen on Saturday March 04, @11:40PM
The slimy sack of shit can do his own experiment with his head as subject number one with the implants he wants done into it. If it is so harmless as the serial lying bastard claims, then he proves his point, if results are bad and he dies no great loss to the world it has one less nazi in it.
"I modded down, down, down, and the flames went higher." -- Sven Olsen
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Sunday March 05, @02:41AM (1 child)
It sounds like he didn't spend enough money on whipping people in to a frenzy so they want some other bullshit product.
Get some cell phone salemen on the line, and whoever keeps pushing out articles about "AI".
Thought he already had some in his pocket for the cars, trying to make gasoline cars illegal and all.
I can hear the marketing slogan now: Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated..... or does Microsoft still have a trademark on that?
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Sunday March 05, @02:59AM
Illegal gasoline cars, you say? [mcgrew.info]
Carbon, The only element in the known universe to ever gain sentience