Elon Musk is the richest person in the whole world. His surname appears in a wide range of social discussions. Billionaire among others is associated with Tesla, PayPal and OpenAI [1].  A few weeks ago, one of his companies had received approval for testing a device on humans. What is Neuralink? Is it ethical to test it on humans?

Neuralink tested on humans?

Neuralink is a project whose goal is to develop a foreign body implantable in the brain, which is supposed to enable machines to be controlled by thought. So far, Neuralink has been tested on animals, and the laboratories allegedly even abused the test animals – 15 out of 23 monkeys on which the tests were carried out died [2].

In December last year, Musk’s declaration aroused controversy – he announced that he believed in Neuralink to such an extent that he would be able to implant it both himself and his own children [3]. A few weeks ago, Neuralink received approval for human clinical trials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Will Musk personally submit to the tests? [2]

Progress in science

The success of the project would mean new perspectives for the general public. It would be a great opportunity for a better life for people with disabilities too. Is human testing justified in this situation? How will volunteers be recruited? What price will we actually pay for the progress of clinical trials?

For more on Musk’s activities, check out the August Coopernicus report below:

https://youtu.be/IOqJO54HoIg

Bibliography:

1. Brian Baker, James Royal: Elon Musk in 2023: What to know about the world’s richest person; 24.07.2023; URL: https://www.bankrate.com/investing/elon-musk/#:~:text=Key%20facts%20about%20Elon%20Musk,Louis%20Vuitton%20Chairman%20Bernard%20Arnault.
2. Redakcja NTL: Badania na ludziach? Neuralink Elona Muska; 13.07.2023; URL: https://naukatolubie.pl/badania-na-ludziach-neuralink-elona-muska/
3. Beatrice Nolan: Elon Musk says he’d be comfortable implanting a Neuralink brain chip in one of his children, 02.12.2022; URL: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-chip-children-2022-12?IR=T

Magdalena Marynowska

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A student of law and international relations at the University of Warsaw, a multiple laureate of literary competitions, including poetry contests. I gained editorial experience as a leader of the social project “Nie Dotykaj Mnie,” where my main task was creating educational content for the project’s social media. I also had the opportunity to co-write the script for an educational film within the project. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, I worked as an Operations Specialist at the non-profit organization Student Initiative for Education, where my responsibilities included developing partnerships with cultural and entertainment centers throughout Poland and co-organizing events for Ukrainian children and youth. Privately, I am a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.