SURGICAL ROBOTS:
The growing presence of artificial intelligence in healthcare is already evident with AI-based visit summaries and patient condition analysis. Now, new research shows that AI training techniques, similar to those used for ChatGPT, could enable surgical robots to perform surgeries autonomously.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University developed a model that trains robots by using video recordings of human-controlled robotic arms performing surgical tasks. By learning to mimic these actions, the researchers believe they can eliminate the need to program each specific movement for a procedure. While robotic surgery has been used for years—such as in the 2018 “surgery on a grape” meme that highlighted the precision of robotic arms—surgical robots still rely on human control.
Approximately 876,000 robot-assisted surgeries were conducted in 2020. Robotic instruments can reach areas in the body that a surgeon’s hands cannot and provide steady, tremor-free movements, making them useful for delicate operations. However, they are still typically guided by a surgeon with a controller.
Artificial Intelligence:
Skeptics of fully autonomous surgical robots argue that AI models like ChatGPT are not truly “intelligent” but merely mimic what they’ve already learned, lacking an understanding of the underlying concepts.
This raises concerns about how robots might respond in situations they haven’t been trained for, particularly in high-stakes environments like surgery, where a mistake could happen in an instant. Autonomous surgical robots would likely need approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Unlike AI tools used for summarizing patient visits or making recommendations, where doctors are expected to review and validate information, autonomous robots performing surgeries would require a higher level of scrutiny.
This issue is akin to concerns raised about AI in military settings, where soldiers relying on AI to identify attack targets sometimes fail to properly vet the information. In healthcare, misdiagnoses or surgical mistakes due to AI errors would have serious consequences. The question of accountability also arises—who is responsible when an AI system makes a mistake? While no technology is perfect, the potential fallout from a botched surgery performed by an autonomous robot would be immense, raising questions about liability and professional accountability.
Experts also worry that over-reliance on autonomous robots for surgeries could lead to a decline in doctors’ own skills and knowledge, similar to how social skills can atrophy when dating is primarily facilitated through apps.
If doctors are overwhelmed and fatigued—a reason cited for the potential benefits of surgical robots—the real issue may lie in addressing the systemic problems contributing to the shortage of healthcare professionals. The U.S. is expected to face a shortage of 10,000 to 20,000 surgeons by 2036, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, signaling a need for broader reforms in the healthcare system.
