Minimally invasive robot completes world's first autonomous surgery driven by large AI model
Chinese medical robotics firm Minimally Invasive Robot has announced a major breakthrough: the successful completion of the world's first autonomous surgical animal experiment powered by a large multimodal AI model. The procedure was performed using the company's self‑developed Neuron MicroGenius system, marking a shift from traditional machine‑vision‑based automation to full‑process autonomous control.
The experiment was conducted on a 30‑kilogram (66‑lb) pig using the Tumai surgical robot platform. The system operated through a dual‑layer architecture-high‑level decision‑making (HL) and low‑level execution (LL)-to autonomously complete critical surgical steps such as bile duct clipping and shearing. The first trial achieved an 88 percent success rate for localized operations, with real‑time dynamic correction leading to a fully successful procedure.
This marks the first time a large AI model has autonomously executed key surgical steps in a live animal, moving beyond assisted decision‑making to full procedural control. The achievement sets a new benchmark for intelligent medical equipment and lays the groundwork for future clinical and commercial applications.
Minimally Invasive Robot is a leading Chinese developer of surgical robotics and AI‑driven medical systems. The company pioneered the industrialization of domestic surgical robots and launched the world's first commercially available remote surgical robot. With over 160 commercial orders globally and clinical deployments in more than 40 countries, the firm is advancing the global surgical robotics industry through both technological innovation and widespread equipment adoption. Its development path spans three major phases: industrialization, remote operation, and now full autonomy.
