Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Stanford have developed robots capable of autonomously performing surgical tasks—an innovation that could help address the looming U.S. surgeon shortage. Unlike traditional surgical robots, which rely on doctors controlling them through joysticks, these autonomous machines learn by analyzing video footage of surgical procedures. Using data converted from each frame, they can perform actions like suturing and knot-tying without human guidance. The training process mimics how AI language models are developed, but instead of words, the system processes a robot-specific language describing positions and movements.
The robots successfully completed tasks on practice models as well as pork and chicken samples, showcasing adaptability beyond lab settings. The team claims the robots can respond to simple verbal commands, similar to how surgeons guide human trainees. However, challenges remain.
Experts warn that patient anatomy and disease behavior vary, making full autonomy risky. Liability issues are also a concern, as accountability for surgical errors involving AI could implicate physicians, developers, hospitals, or manufacturers. Privacy concerns related to using real surgical footage for training further complicate its implementation. Despite hurdles, proponents believe autonomous surgical robots could revolutionize healthcare by enhancing precision and reducing surgical fatigue.
Source: TechSpot