On January 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed that they will be conducting an investigation into Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, Neuralink. This is in response to allegations from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) that Neuralink may have mishandled hazardous materials and not followed proper safety protocols.
Neuralink is a company founded by Musk in 2016 that is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) device designed to be inserted directly into the brain tissue. Emails between Neuralink and the University of California, Davis, between 2017 and 2020 suggest the potential mishandling of hardware carrying infectious pathogens such as Herpes B and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The emails also indicate that transportation of hazardous materials might not have been done by a trained hazardous material handler.
In response to these emails, PCRM has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate Neuralink for possibly violating good laboratory practices and the Animal Welfare Act, respectively. Representatives from the DOT, FDA and USDA have not responded to requests for comment.
Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy at PCRM, cautioned that while there is no evidence anyone was infected, the emails reflect the seriousness of the potential pathogen leak and the need for safety training. He warned that the incident could affect not only the animals involved, but the people working at Neuralink, the people working at UC Davis, and everyone they have come in contact with.
The DOT has now confirmed that they are investigating Neuralink for allegedly packaging and transporting contaminated hardware in an unsafe manner. It remains to be seen how the investigation will progress and what the outcome will be.