The ethical implications of Elon Musk’s unorthodox approach to medical science By Anna WexlerJuly 8, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/07/08/neuralink-elon-musk-scientific-ethics-brain-computer-interface/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--yazrBSbRHlnxZKA-toigfuZg6g6S6J4nd-BNPOCizfnmyVVIh3er5e3Oah-Rwzh0cJQekdM28plwpVcUgUOr3Le6z_g&_hsmi=314717062&utm_content=314717062&utm_source=hs_email Elon Musk has made it clear that his goal for Neuralink, the Tesla CEO’s neurotechnology company, isn’t strictly to benefit patients. He’s also hoping to advance humanity’s capability to achieve symbiosis with artificial intelligence. In step with this more unconventional aim, the company takes a different approach to research than most of medical science — and it’s rattling the scientific community. Neuralink keeps details about its ongoing clinical trial tightly guarded, until suddenly broadcasting medical milestones through tweets and YouTube demos. It’s only published one peer-reviewed paper, in a journal unrelated to neural engineering. In a new First Opinion essay, medical ethics professor and researcher Anna Wexler explores the pros and cons of Musk’s methods, and the importance of disentangling cultural norms from ethical standards.