Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip clinical trial at Toronto hospital raises ethical questions – CTV
September 19, 2025
TORONTO — Some doctors and bioethicists are raising concerns about a Toronto hospital’s partnership with a company founded by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk.
University Health Network announced earlier this month that two quadriplegic Canadian patients had received Musk’s Neuralink brain implants as part of a study testing the safety and effectiveness of the wireless device.
While critics see virtue in the clinical trial’s goals of giving autonomy to people who are paralyzed, they object to a Canadian hospital working with a Musk-owned company in the wake of devastating cuts to life-saving health programs, which he spearheaded. Other ethicists say if this technology could improve the lives of patients, that should be prioritized.
Dr. Raghu Venugopal, an emergency physician at University Health Network, posted on social media earlier this month that “Canadian MDs should never collaborate with Elon Musk.”
He said Musk “destroyed” the U.S. government’s foreign aid funding, which a recent study in The Lancet medical journal estimated could result in 14 million deaths over the next five years.
