Scientists announce first baby born via robotic sperm injection system
This achievement signifies a major leap in the field of in vitro fertilization (IVF), where automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly reshaping clinical practices.
In the early stages of ICSI (which was developed in the 1990s and is now a commonly practiced procedure), a trained embryologist would use a needle to inject a single sperm cell into a mature egg.
However, the new system developed by a collaborative team from Conceivable Life Sciences, operating in New York and Guadalajara, Mexico, has taken that process out of human hands. Their AI-powered platform automates all 23 steps of the standard ICSI procedure, offering unmatched accuracy and consistency.
This new ICSI system integrates modern robotics and AI technology to perform the most sensitive tasks in microinjection. With its advanced algorithms, AI controls much more than just the injection. It also uses lasers to precisely immobilize selected sperm cells and guides them into the egg with unparalleled accuracy, well beyond human performance.
The automation of the ICSI process "represents a transformative solution that promises to enhance precision, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent outcomes" through reduced variability and work-related stress on human operators, says Dr Jacques Cohen.
In the case that led to this historic birth, a 40-year-old woman who had previously failed an IVF attempt participated in the study. Five donor eggs were fertilized using the automated ICSI system, while three served as controls for manual ICSI performed by the clinic staff.
The remote-controlled automated procedure from New York and Guadalajara took just under ten minutes per egg. Researchers describe the faster interactive processes as still in experimental stages but predict upcoming refinements will increase speed.
Of the five eggs fertilized with the automated system, four developed normally. A resulting blastocyst, created through remote-controlled injection from 3,700 kilometers away, was frozen and later transferred back into the patient's uterus. The pregnancy proceeded without complication, culminating in the birth of a healthy baby boy.
The AI system had complete automation control over every step of ICSI. However, innovating embryo culture, cryopreservation, and even the selection and injection of sperm had already been automated in many fertility labs previously. Even in these pilot stages, success paves the way for further endeavors with scope for clinical tests and later app-wide implementation.
'With AI,' explained Professor Mendizabal-Ruiz, 'the system autonomously selects sperm and precisely immobolises its midsection with a laser ready for injection - executing this rapid, precise process with a level of accuracy beyond human capability.'
As IVF laboratories continue to integrate automation across embryo assessment, storage, and fertilization, the birth of this child represents a major milestone. It's not only proof that fully automated fertilization is possible but also a glimpse into the future of precision-driven fertility care.
The study has been published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online.
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Weight Loss May Improve Pregnancy Odds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Weight loss interventions for people who are overweight and obese undertaken before turning to IVF could increase the chances of getting pregnant naturally. This is the conclusion of researchers from University of Oxford who reviewed 12 past studies involving nearly 2,000 patients from 1980 to May of this year. They compared a woman's weight to how likely they were to become pregnant either without IVF (unassisted pregnancy), with IVF (treatment-induced pregnancy) and overall (unassisted plus treatment-induced)—as well as whether they delivered a live baby. "All participants in the included studies were candidates for IVF. Before having IVF, they were offered weight loss support. 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The weight loss interventions studied included low-energy diets, an exercise program accompanied by healthy eating advice and pharmacotherapy accompanied by diet and physical activity advice. "Low-energy diets, also known as total diet replacements, typically use liquid formula products to replace real food and induce a much larger energy deficit with total energy intake of no more than 1000 kcal/day, followed by gradual reintroduction of foods for weight stabilization," Michalopoulou explained. She said these are safe for women when supervised and supported to follow such a program, with a lot of literature on the effectiveness of these diets. "In this one study, the main intervention being tested was high-intensity interval training (referenced as Kiel 2018 in the paper). At the same time, participants were advised to eat healthy as per national healthy eating recommendations," said Michalopoulou. In terms of the 'pharmacotherapy' intervention, she added, "Participants were instructed to take weight loss medication which was the main intervention being tested, but at the same time, they were given healthy eating advice or a hypocaloric diet [low in calories], plus advice on how to increase their physical activity, e.g. doing more steps, or doing exercise." Overall, weight loss interventions before IVF were associated with greater unassisted pregnancy rates, according to the researchers. "Regardless of weight loss method used, across all studies, women with obesity who participated in a supported weight loss program before IVF had 47 percent higher chances of getting pregnant naturally, compared to women in the comparator groups who typically received standard care," said Michalopoulou. "Therefore, more women in the intervention than in the comparator groups did not need to have IVF treatment to get pregnant, as they got pregnant naturally." 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Evidence on the association between weight loss interventions before IVF and live births was uncertain—mainly because there were fewer studies that reported live birth outcomes—although there was moderate certainty of no association with pregnancy loss. "Obesity can lead to female infertility through hormone imbalance, insulin resistance, inflammation, and polycystic ovary syndrome. All of these can lead to ovulatory dysfunction," said Michalopoulou. "Obesity has also been associated with lower IVF success for women with infertility, such as requiring higher doses of treatment, reduced response to the medications, reduced chances of getting pregnant, and increased chances of miscarriage if a pregnancy is achieved." "Maintaining a healthier weight can help improve hormone balance, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and improve ovulation. For women seeking IVF, lowering their BMI to healthier levels may improve sensitivity and response to the treatment, improve egg quality and uterine function, and as a result, increase their chances of getting pregnant." However, everyone is different, the researcher noted. "Many larger women will have healthy pregnancies. But evidence shows that starting pregnancy carrying too much weight and gaining too much weight during pregnancy are both associated with greater risks of complications. This does not mean that every woman living with obesity will develop these complications—just that there will likely be more complications than in women who start pregnancy in the normal BMI range" The researchers hope their systematic review and analysis of randomized controlled trials will lead to more advanced trials. "We already know weight loss can help with fertility, but whether it improves IVF outcomes is far less certain. This review sheds some light, but most of the studies are small and at high risk of bias, so the results need cautious interpretation. IVF bypasses many obesity-related barriers, but what is still unclear is if delaying treatment for weight loss truly boosts success rates," said Ying Cheong—a professor of reproductive medicine of the University of Southampton who was not involved in the present study—in a statement. "Weight loss interventions before IVF appear to increase the chances of pregnancy, especially through natural conception, which may negate the need for IVF treatment, and does not seem to increase the risk of pregnancy loss. This offers hope to women with obesity and infertility," Michalopoulou said. "However, the evidence is limited and unclear on whether weight loss interventions before IVF have an effect on live birth rates, and more evidence from larger, high-quality trials is needed to test this." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about pregnancy? Let us know via health@ Reference Michalopoulou, M., Jebb, S. A., Hobson, A., Khaw, S. C., Stevens, R., Melo, P., Haffner, S. J. P., Clay, K. S., Mounsey, S., Granne, I., Lim, L., Child, T., & Astbury, N. M. (2025). The effect of weight loss before in vitro fertilization on reproductive outcomes in women with obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 178(9).
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