Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads, the
Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neuralink.
I'm your host Will Walden. Neuralink, the brain implant
startup founded by Elon Musk, is facing legal action from a
former employee, Lindsay Short, who claimed she was forced to
work with monkeys carrying the herpes B virus under unsafe
conditions. The complaint, filed in
California State court, also alleges retaliation and wrongful
termination following her announcement of pregnancy.
Short, who joined Neuralinks Fremont, CA site in August of
2022, describes a toxic work environment marked by blame,
shame, and unrealistic deadlines.
She alleges that the company failed to provide proper
protective gear while she worked with herpes bee infected
monkeys, leading to incidents where she was scratched through
a glove and on her face. Now, the lawsuit claims that
after seeking medical treatment for the scratches, Short was
threatened with severe repercussions if she insisted on
medical attention in the future, and Neuralink did not
immediately respond to a request for comment on these
allegations. Short also contends that the
company did not honor its promise of flexible work hours
to accommodate her family, instead demoting her in May of
2023, just two months after her promotion.
She was fired the day after informing Neurolink's human
resources department of her pregnancy with a company setting
performance issues. The Neurolink has been in the
early stages of clinical trials for his brain implant device,
which aims to restore function for paralyzed patients.
Recently, a quadriplegic became the first human patient to
receive the implant, enabling him to play video games using
only his thoughts, and the company has faced criticism and
scrutiny over its Treatment of Animals.
Past research on monkeys at the University of California, Davis
and included botched surgeries that resulted in severe
complications and deaths, prompting Neuralink to move its
monkey research in house. A federal investigation by the
US Department of Agriculture's Inspector General was launched
into Neuralink over potential animal welfare violations.
This probe followed internal complaints.
The Musk's pressure to accelerate development led to
rushed and flawed animal tests, causing unnecessary suffering
and also deaths. An animal rights group,
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, accused
Neuralink and UC Davis of using incorrect surgical methods,
leading to significant suffering of the test animals.
Musk has previously expressed his reluctance to use animals
and research, but has emphasized the necessity for rapid progress
in developing technologies to accept people with severe
disabilities. Now, in an effort to address
public concerns, Neuralink has reportedly made efforts to
improve living conditions for his test animals, creating
facilities referred to as Monkey Disneyland or the Monkey Taj
Mahal. And despite these efforts,
backlash against the company's animal testing practices
persists. Neuralink's legal and ethical
challenges reflect broader issues faced by companies in the
high stakes field of medical research, where the urgency to
deliver results can conflict with ethical and regulatory
standards. The scrutiny over Neuralink's
treatment of both employees and animals is expected to increase
as the company continues its development efforts.
Lindsay Short's lawsuit is not an isolated case of alleged
gender discrimination within Musk's companies.
Similar allegations have been made against SpaceX, where
former employees have claimed wrongful termination after
raising concerns about sexual harassment.
Reports indicate that as many as a dozen suffered from severe
systems, including brain swelling, partial paralysis and
self harming behavior after being implanted with neuralinks.
Chimps. That's the monkeys.
These incidents have fueled ongoing controversy surrounding
the company's research methods. Musk has denied claims of
improper treatment of the test animals, asserting that the
affected monkeys were terminally ill prior to receiving the
implants. However, he has not provided
substantial evidence to support these statements.
Short's case also highlights alleged violations of
transportation regulations by Neuralink.
U.S. Department of Transportation is
investigating the illegal movement of implants removed
from monkey brains, which may have been contaminated with
Herpes B and other hard to kill bacteria.
Now, these allegations, if proven true, paint a disturbing
picture of Neuralink's operational practices.
The company's handling of both its employees and test animals
could lead to further legal and ethical repercussions.
Neuralink's approach to rapid development has involved
repeated testing without fully addressing issues from earlier
experiments. This has raised concerns among
current and former employees about the quality of data and
the ethical implications of the company's methods.
And despite these controversies, Neuralink continues its mission
to develop brain implant technology that can potentially
transform the lives of individuals with severe
disabilities. The balance between scientific
advancement and ethical responsibility remains a
critical aspect of its operations, and the outcome of
Schwartz's lawsuit may have broader implications for
workplace practices and animal welfare standards.
Within the field of biomedical research.
And as Neuralink progresses with its clinical trials, the
scrutiny over its treatment of employees and animals is
expected to remain intense. Neuralink's current legal
issues, coupled with past controversies over animal
treatment highlights significant challenges in balancing this
rapid technology development with ethical consideration.
The resolution of these issues will be crucial for the
company's future. Hey, thank you so much for
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