According to a legal complaint filed in a California state court, Neuralink Corp., Elon Musk's brain implant start-up, faces a lawsuit for allegedly forcing a former employee to work with Herpes-infected monkeys.

Neuralink's Workplace Culture

Lindsay Short reported encountering a work environment she described as filled with blame, shame, and unmanageable deadlines after transferring to Neuralink Corp.'s Fremont, California, site in August 2022. Short filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging retaliation, wrongful termination, and gender discrimination, among other grievances, claiming she was subsequently terminated from her position following her disclosure of pregnancy to supervisors.

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The Pregnant Employee's Allegations

Short alleged that she was scratched through a glove while working with monkeys infected with the Herpes B virus and accused the company of not adequately providing proper protective gear. On another occasion, Short reportedly had a monkey scratch her face after being compelled to carry out a procedure she was unfamiliar with. When she requested medical attention, her supervisor allegedly threatened her with severe repercussions if a similar incident occurred again, as stated in the complaint.

Short additionally claimed that Neuralink failed to fulfill a promise of flexible work hours to accommodate her family's needs and that she was demoted in May 2023, two months after receiving a promotion. Short informed Neuralink's human resources department of her pregnancy the following month, which, according to the lawsuit, prompted her termination the next day. The company cited performance issues as the reason for her dismissal.

Neuralink's Legal and Ethical Backlash

The start-up is currently in the initial phases of clinical trials for its device, designed to restore functionality for paralyzed patients, with Noland Arbaugh of Arizona having recently undergone surgery to become the first human recipient of the implant. Arbaugh can now effectively play video games using only his thoughts despite being quadriplegic.  

Neuralink's previous animal research included the University of California, Davis' collaboration, where surgeries on monkeys allegedly led to severe complications and deaths caused by improper surgical techniques, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 

Elon Musk has long been recognized for urging his teams to work swiftly, frequently in high-pressure situations. Reuters reports that employees at Neuralink have described a stressful environment where Musk pushes for accelerated timelines in development. While Musk has voiced his disapproval of animal research in the past, he has underscored the urgency of advancing technologies that could benefit individuals with severe disabilities, emphasizing the need for rapid progress.

Neuralink has adopted a strategy of rapidly testing various aspects of its technology, often without fully resolving issues from earlier experiments. This only results in repeated testing and additional animal fatalities, as well as current and former employees' concerns about the quality of the data and the ethical implications of the company's research practices.

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