Elon Musk's Neuralink under federal investigation for animal treatment: reports
Elon Musk's pressure to rush research, according to reports, leads to botched experiments and an increase in animal deaths
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Twitter was pushing a "distraction" in releasing information about what led up to the suppression of the New York Post's Hunter Biden laptop story.
Elon Musk’s company Neuralink is under investigation by federal agencies into alleged animal welfare violations, according to Reuters.
Musk helped cofound Neuralink, a neurotechnology company developing brain implants that could one day help paralyzed people walk again and help with other neurological issues.
Neuralink logo displayed on a phone screen, a silhouette of a paper in shape of a human face and a binary code displayed on a screen are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on Dec. 10, 2021. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Reuters reported the federal probe was opened by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture after sources reported violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
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The act was established in 1966 and regulates how animals are treated in research environments.
Reuters also reported that documents and interviews with more than 20 current and former employees suggest internal opposition to how animals are being tested and that Musk’s push to rush development has resulted in botched experiments.
Tesla founder Elon Musk / Getty Images (Getty / Getty Images)
The failed tests, Reuters said, were repeated, thus the number of animals tested and killed increased.
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Based on records and interviews with sources close to the operations, Reuters estimates that 1,500 animals were killed, and that number includes 280 pigs, monkeys and sheep, since 2018.
It was also reported that the animals are killed when experiments are completed, allowing scientists to research post-mortem conditions.
Fox News has reached out to Neuralink for comment on the report.
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