All the Actually Important Stuff Neuralink Just Announced
WiredMAY 2023
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
This is a win for animal rights, and a step in the right direction to holding Neuralink accountable for the long list of animal abuse allegations it faces, but the company must face the maximum penalty available per violation. It's ironic and twisted that Musk intends to revolutionize human minds by inflicting unimaginable suffering on those of animals.
Pro-establishment narrative
There's no evidence that Neuralink’s animal testing practices are inhumane, or that it has broken the law. The hard truth is that all new medical devices and treatments must be tested in animals before they can be ethically trialed in humans. Nevertheless, Neuralink has shown its commitment time and again to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible.
Cynical narrative
Musk’s actions are hardly an isolated incident. Despite mounting public concern and the availability of validated non-animal methods for scientific research, more and more laboratories worldwide are scheduling animals for terminal procedures in their quest to amaze humanity. Moreover, animal testing is not only cruel but so often ineffective. In fact, 90% of drugs that successfully pass the initial animal tests fail in human trials. This must end.