A robot trained on videos of surgeries performed a lengthy phase of a gallbladder removal without human help. The robot operated for the first time on a lifelike patient, and during the operation, responded to and learned from voice commands from the team—like a novice surgeon working with a mentor.
The robot performed unflappably across trials and with the expertise of a skilled human surgeon, even during unexpected scenarios typical in real life medical emergencies.
“OMG it was supposed to take out my LEFT kidney! I’m gonna die!!!”
“Oops, the surgeon in the training video took out a Right kidney. Uhh… sorry.”