A robot, trained solely by observing seasoned surgeons on video, has successfully replicated complex surgical procedures, performing with a skill level comparable to experienced human doctors. Researchers note that by successfully using imitation learning to train surgical robots,

Researchers have developed a robot capable of performing surgical procedures with the same skill as human doctors by training it using videos of surgeries. The team from Johns Hopkins and Stanford Universities harnessed imitation learning,

“All we need is image input and then this AI system finds the right action,” postdoctoral researcher Ji Woong Kim said. “We find that even with a few hundred demos, the model is able to learn the procedure and generalize new environments it hasn’t encountered.”

A research team used videos of surgeries and the machine learning architecture behind ChatGPT to successfully train a robot to do basic tasks like manipulate a needle, lift body tissue and suture. Why it matters: Showing a robot can perform with the skill of a doctor opens up new possibilities for devices like the widely used da Vinci surgical system and reduce the risk of medical errors,

It takes years of intense study and a steady hand for humans to perform surgery, but robots might have an easier time picking it up with today's AI technology.