About two years ago, Elon Musk's company Neuralink stunned the world when it conducted initial experiments on monkeys implanted with a brain chip.
In the experiment, which was later extended to a pig, the company claimed that the monkeys were able to control the computer using only thought and play the game "mind-pong" where the chip receives electrical waves from the brain and translates them into commands for the computer.
According to the company's original design, the chip was to be implanted in human brains by a simple medical procedure and will be able to connect brain waves and electronic devices. The connection between the brain and the machine can help diagnose and treat many neurological diseases such as sleep problems, depression, brain injuries and more.
Claims have recently begun to arise regarding the fate of the monkeys implanted with the chip. A publication by WIRED revealed that despite the promise of the company, there are suspicions that the monkeys that participated in the experiment suffered from serious medical problems that may have even contributed to their premature euthanization. A group for medical ethics sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting that Elon Musk be investigated for possibly misleading investors after he stated that "no monkey died as a result of the Neuralink implant".
A veterinary report from the experiment shows that one of the monkeys identified as "Animal 15" did not get used to the chip and used to press her head on the floor after the operation. Over time she began to lose her balance until after several months she was euthanized when the report states that she suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Another complication that occurred during the experiments happened to "Animal 20" in which part of a chip broke while being implanted in the brain. Although the broken part was finally removed from the monkey, it was euthanized about a year after the incident, apparently due to infections related to the insertion of the chip.
In recent months, the company Neuralink announced that it will begin experiments on humans, after receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.