Neuralink, Elon Musk’s company, is under investigation for animal abuse

The medical device company Neural connectionby Elon Musk, is being investigated by the federal state for possible animal welfare violations, amid complaints from internal staff that his animal tests are being rushed, causing needless suffering and deathaccording to documents reviewed by Reuters and sources familiar with the company’s investigation and operations.

Neuralink Corp is developing a brain implant it hopes will help paralyzed people walk again and cure others neurological disorders.

The previously undisclosed federal investigation was opened in recent months by the US Department of Agriculture’s inspector general at the request of a federal prosecutor, according to two sources familiar with the investigation. According to one of the sources, they focus on violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which regulates the treatment and testing of iResearchers with some animals.

The requests come at a time of growing employee discontent over Neuralink’s animal tests, including complaints that pressure from CEO Elon Musk to speed up development has led to failed experiments, according to a Reuters review of dozens of Neuralink documents. And interviews with more than 20 current and former employees.

These failed tests had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals tested and dying, employees say. Company records include previously undisclosed messages, audio recordings, emails, presentations, and reports.

Musk and other Neuralink executives they didn’t answer to requests for comments. Reuters was unable to determine the full extent of the federal investigation or whether it involved the same alleged problems with animal testing. identified by employees in Reuters interviews.

A USDA Inspector General spokesman declined to comment. U.S. regulations don’t specify the number of animals companies can use for research and give scientists ample leeway to determine when and how to use animals in experiments.

Neuralink has passed all USDA inspections of its facilities, according to regulatory filings. Musk has lobbied to accelerate progress on Neuralink, which relies heavily on animal testing, current and former employees said. Earlier this year, the CEO sent his employees a newspaper article about Swiss researchers who developed an electrical system that helped a man paralyzed to walk again.

“We could let people use their hands and walk again in daily life!” he wrote to staff at 6.37am on Feb. 8. Ten minutes later, she continued: “Usually, we’re not moving fast enough. She’s driving me crazy.”

The moderation of Twitter, at the center of the controversy

Meanwhile, Elon Musk is learning that managing a global platform with nearly 240 million daily active users requires much more good algorithms and many times it requires imperfect solutions to complicated situations, difficult decisions which ultimately have to be made by a human being and which are sure to shock someone.

Now that he’s back on Twitter, neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin wants someone to explain the rules to him.

Anglin, the founder of a notorious neo-Nazi website, was reinstated on Thursday, one of many previously banned users who benefited from an amnesty granted. by the new owner of TwitterElon Musk.

The next day, Musk suspended Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, after he posted an image of a swastika fused with the Star of David.

“All rightAnglin tweeted on Friday. “Whatever the rules are, people will follow them. We just need to know what the rules are.”

Ask Moss. Since the world’s richest man paid $44 billion for Twitter, the platform has struggled to define its rules for disinformation and hate speech, he posted. conflicting claims and it hasn’t fully addressed what researchers say is a worrying increase in hate speech.

Musk, who defines himself as a free speech absolutist, has said he wants to make Twitter a global digital public square, but also said he won’t accept important decisions about the content or recovery of banned accounts before creating a “board of content moderation with different points of view.