Elon Musk Tesla CEO (CEO) pushed for an experiment to implant a chip in the human brain, but it was later revealed that he had received a decision not to allow it from the US health authorities.
On the 2nd (local time), Reuters reported citing seven former and current employees of Neuralink, a neuroscience startup founded by Musk, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the experiment applied by Neuralink early last year. said to have refused.
In 2016, Musk founded Neuralink, a startup that develops technology and related devices that connect the human brain and computers. Neuralink is developing an interface that connects a computer chip by inserting a computer chip into the brain in order to build a system that can control various devices with only human thoughts.
Since then, Musk has mentioned several times about experiments implanting chips in human brains. Neuralink didn’t wait until last year to seek approval from the authorities for the experiment, but it was ultimately denied.
The FDA is said to have pointed out that Neuralink has dozens of issues that need to be addressed before human trials begin in the United States.
In particular, they were concerned that the wire from the brain chip could travel to other areas of the test subject’s brain, and the chip could overheat and damage the tissue. The question of how to remove the implanted chip without damaging the brain was also raised.
Neuralink employees say these issues aren’t something that can be fixed in the short term.
Musk said he would seek approval for human trials by the first half of this year, but the plan has been disrupted.
Neuralink is currently testing on animals such as pigs and monkeys. However, since 2018, only 1,500 animals have been killed, and it is known that they are being investigated by US federal prosecutors for causing the death of many animals.
It is also under investigation by the transport authorities for allegedly transporting implants believed to have been contaminated by sick primates without following proper procedures.
