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Neiry Publishes Footage of Chip-Implanted Pigeons It Says It Can Steer Remotely

Unverified tests draw scrutiny over Kremlin-linked backing, dual-use risk, ethics.

Overview

  • The Moscow start-up says electrodes stimulate brain regions to cue left or right turns, with backpacks carrying a controller, solar panels and a camera.
  • A company video shows pigeons in enclosed flights apparently changing direction in response to on-screen commands sent by an operator.
  • Independent scientists have not verified the results, and researchers flag feasibility challenges alongside animal-welfare concerns.
  • Funding and ties cited in reporting include the National Technology Initiative and the Voskhod fund, plus a partnership with Moscow State University’s AI institute led by Katerina Tikhonova.
  • Neiry frames uses like search-and-rescue and infrastructure monitoring, while observers note surveillance potential and the firm touts adapting the platform to ravens, seagulls and albatrosses.