Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations
New Scientist4 days
This is a revolutionary leap toward safer, more accessible healthcare. The robot's 100% success rate and ability to adapt to real-world surgical complications demonstrate that AI can match expert human performance, reduce surgical errors, and expand access to quality care in underserved areas.
While impressive, significant safety concerns remain before human trials can begin. The robot required self-correction six times per case and needed human intervention to change instruments, raising questions about reliability in life-threatening situations where split-second decisions matter most.
There's a 50% chance that the first fully autonomous surgery or procedure will be performed on a human by December 2032, according to the Metaculus prediction community.