World's First Baby Born Through AI-Assisted Automated IVF

World's first baby born by IVF done almost entirely by a machine

A baby has been born after being conceived via IVF performed by a machine, with a medical professional merely overseeing the process A highly automated form of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has led to a successful birth, raising hopes that this approach could cut the risk of human error during such procedures. One method of IVF is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where sperm is injected into eggs in a lab dish. This is commonly used in cases of male infertility, as the sperm don't have to work to reach an egg. Any resulting embryos are then inserted into the uterus. IVF can also be done by mixing sperm and eggs in a lab dish in the hope that fertilisation will take place, which is generally less successful, but also requires less medical intervention. ICSI also has drawbacks, as it relies on high levels of precision and judgement from medical professionals. "They become tired and distracted sometimes, just like everybody else in most professions, so errors happen that can reduce [the] odds of fertilisation and births," says Jacques Cohen at Conceivable Life Sciences, a biotech company in New York City. To address this, Cohen and his colleagues have developed a machine that can perform 23 key steps required for ICSI. Each one is initiated by a person through the press of a button as they watch a livestream of the process. This can even be done from a different part of the world. In one step, the machine uses an AI model to select the healthiest sperm cells for fertilisation, based on their appearance. In another, the machine immobilises the sperm by zapping their tails with a laser so they are easier to pick up. It later injects the sperm into already-collected eggs. A similar approach has been tested before, resulting in two live births, but some steps weren't done by a machine. To put their machine to the test, the researchers recruited a couple who were struggling to conceive, partly because the man had sperm that couldn't swim properly. The woman also had problems producing eggs, so donor ones were used for the procedure. The researchers randomly assigned five out of eight donor eggs to be fertilised by the automated system, which produced four embryos. The three remaining eggs were fertilised using the standard manual ICSI approach, all of which formed embryos. They then used another AI model to select the two best embryos, based on the appearance of their chromosomes. Both of these were produced using the automated system, but that doesn't necessarily mean this approach leads to healthier embryos than manual ICSI, says Cohen. We can't gauge this due to the small number of eggs involved, he says. When the team inserted one of the embryos into the woman's uterus, it failed to develop, but the second led to a successful birth. It is an exciting proof-of-concept, says Joyce Harper at University College London. But larger studies that randomly assign couples to undergo either the automated or the manual lCSI procedure are needed to establish whether the former approach leads to higher birth rates, she says. Automated IVF is also unlikely to be widely used, due to it being an additional expense, at least when initially rolled out, says Harper. But Cohen hopes this would improve with time. "As we optimise, standardise and refine the system, we expect the cost to the patient and clinic to decline," he says.

World's first baby conceived with 'automated IVF' has been born. Here's how the procedure works.

Performed remotely in Mexico by engineers and embryologists in New York, an automated fertility treatment resulted in conception and, more recently, a live birth. In a world first, a baby has been born after being conceived through an IVF procedure largely completed by robots. This milestone serves as a proof-of-concept, standardizing a complex, precise fertilization procedure. The scientists behind the work say it could increase the success rate of one type of IVF in the future. The embryo was created using a process called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a type of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) that has existed since the 1990s. In conventional IVF, an egg cell is placed in a dish amidst thousands of sperm, whereas ICSI involves injecting one sperm cell directly into an egg. The latter method is useful in the case of male infertility, in which the sperm may have trouble reaching the egg without intervention. Now, in a paper published Thursday (April 10) in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, details a way of automating ICSI. Related: IVF may raise risk of certain disorders in babies -- and epigenetic 'signatures' in the placenta could explain why In the study, the procedure was performed entirely by machines in Guadalajara, Mexico, while embryologists and engineers in Hudson, New York, monitored the process, initiating each step remotely. This resulted in an embryo that then successfully implanted in a woman's womb, enabling the 40-year-old patient to carry a pregnancy to term. The technology automating the process was developed by a team at Conceivable Life Sciences, a fertility biotech company headquartered in New York City. The team designed a system that can complete the 23 steps involved in ICSI, from selecting the optimal sperm to injecting it into an egg to choosing the most viable embryos. The system does not automate the sperm or egg collection process, nor the process of introducing the embryo to the womb. "We have created a platform that has for the first time ever standardized ICSI," the paper's co-author Alejandro Chavez-Badiola, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Conceivable, told Live Science. Standardization can help reduce human error in ICSI and thus reduce the chance of egg degeneration during the procedure, Chavez-Badiola said. "Performing ICSI for hundreds of eggs in a single day is an arduous task," noted Dr. Erkan Buyuk, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who wasn't involved in the work. "Any technologic innovation that would cut down on this effort would be much appreciated in any embryology lab," he told Live Science in an email. ICSI involves selecting a sperm, immobilizing it, picking it up, and injecting it into the egg. "Everyone has their own technique" when it comes to performing this process, Chavez-Badiola said, but egg cells are very delicate and at risk of degenerating during ICSI. Automating ICSI could reduce this degeneration by reducing mechanical resistance against the membrane of the egg -- too much tension during injection can compromise fertilization or destroy the egg entirely, according to the paper. Related: Do sperm really race to the egg? Conceivable's automated system uses artificial intelligence to select optimal sperm to inject into the egg, based on the sperm cells' shape. The AI also identifies the most viable embryos, assessing the appearance of their chromosomes and their potential to implant in the uterine wall. A laser is used to immobilize sperm tails precisely at the midpoint, and a motor then pierces the egg's membrane with a single movement to inject the sperm cell. Each step of the process is initiated by a person pushing a button as they monitor the procedure unfolding. The penetration of the sperm into the egg doesn't guarantee fertilization in either conventional IVF or ICSI, but it is, of course, a key step. From there, the fertilized egg is introduced to the uterus by a doctor and must implant to result in pregnancy. The paper notes that this automated ICSI process takes more time compared to the manual process. It took the automated system, on average, 9 minutes and 56 seconds per egg, while the manual process clocked in at 1 minute and 22 seconds on average, per egg. The team used a total of eight egg cells in this experiment. Five were fertilized through the new process, while three were fertilized through manual ICSI. The automated system produced four embryos from the five eggs, while all three eggs in the manual group were successfully fertilized. Chavez-Badiola noted that the team is continuing to improve upon the automated system. Buyuk also emphasized that this trial marks a starting point. "Multiple studies are needed to ensure safety and efficacy of the procedure, ensuring the sperm with the highest reproductive capacity is selected while damage to the oocyte [egg cell] is minimized," he said. Nonetheless, Buyuk and others in the field recognize the technological advance as important. "Experienced, manual work in the embryology laboratory is a rate-limiting step in the IVF laboratory," said Dr. Emily Jungheim, chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, told Live Science in an email. "If done right, the tools described in the paper could improve access to and scalability of IVF," said Jungheim, who was not involved in the work. Chavez-Badiola says the "ultimate goal" is to achieve "end-to-end automation" of ICSI -- however, a human will always be part of the process. For instance, embryologists would oversee the process to ensure every step goes as planned, while engineers ensure the equipment functions properly. Ideally, this innovation will "bring down the costs, improve access, and allow for more families to have the joy of children," Chavez-Badiola said.

Robot-assisted sperm injection delivers baby in fertility tech first

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 World's First AI-Assisted IVF Baby is Here and India is Watching Closely | AIM Media House

India's IVF market has seen a rapid surge in AI integration, supported by a ₹2000 crore government-funded initiative called the IndiaAI Mission. In a pivotal moment for healthcare, the world's first infant was born using a fully automated and digitally controlled intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) process. As detailed in a research paper published on Reproductive Biomedicine Online, the case involved a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with primary infertility and diminished ovarian reserve. She sought treatment along with her 43-year-old male partner with moderate teratozoospermia, a condition that affects the count or morphology of sperm. After several failed in vitro fertilisation (IVF) attempts, the couple was referred for ICSI treatment at a fertility clinic in Mexico. Four of the five eggs treated with AI-assisted ICSI were successfully fertilised, ultimately resulting in the first live birth. The embryos were ranked using the Embryo Ranking Intelligent Classification Algorithm (Erica) AI, while computer software was used for automated sperm selection. The fully automated digital control and remote supervision of the ICSI system were successfully implemented, marking a significant milestone for the AI and robotics industry in healthcare. While the system took longer to complete the process than manual ICSI, it is expected to improve as it becomes fully automated and the need for human supervision continues to diminish. According to the paper, achieving a fully autonomous IVF process depends on how safe the system's performance is without on-site human supervision. The latest system represents a step forward from earlier versions of automated ICSI, as it automates all micromanipulation steps of the workflow instead of selected aspects of the procedure. While the West has shown promising advancements in the healthcare industry, South Asian countries like India are also showing interest in AI-powered IVF treatments. India's IVF market has seen a rapid surge in AI integration, supported by a ₹2000 crore government-funded initiative called the IndiaAI Mission, which targets critical sectors including medicine. In the last 10 years, time-lapse technology has been used to monitor embryo growth during the IVF treatment. However, according to the initiative's official website, while time-lapse imaging does not help analyse status, AI could provide the "perfect solution". IVF is a booming industry in India, with a market size of $864.6 million as of 2024. According to IMARC data, the industry is expected to experience a growth rate of 15.4% between 2025 and 2033, potentially reaching $3.4 billion by 2033. Technological advancements, increased acceptance of AI-assisted fertility measures, and accessibility are key to market growth in India. Dr Madhu L, founder medical director and senior consultant at Safe IVF Centre in Shivamogga, mentioned that increased awareness about infertility and IVF treatments has greatly improved India's market size in the past few years. Most IVF centres in India have high costs and varying success rates through the traditional ICSI treatment. However, only some IVF centres have explored AI and automation in reproductive health, which could be a game-changer for IVF procedures. Moreover, Madhu believes that people who come in for treatments in Shivamogga aren't particularly concerned with the technology being used or how it works. "They just want results." According to him, if treatment centres use AI analysis, the result may be successful. However, this has not been proven. "We can't say if human intelligence is superior to the AI-assisted tools. We must wait at least five years to see what results we get [in India]." According to Sunflower Infertility and IVF Center in Ahmedabad, AI in IVF treatment has shown great potential to improve outcomes despite being in the early stages. Using advanced algorithms, AI can identify the patients' infertility-specific data. The hospital group has also said that AI-assisted IVF cycles are shortened, leading to reduced treatment costs and more effective fertility solutions in India. "AI can be used for embryo selection and robotic ICSI for sperm injection. Previously, human intelligence was used to select the best-quality sperm. But now, the morphology of the patients is fed into machine learning from the beginning, enabling it to choose the best-quality sperm." "Another [purpose of AI] is that it can gauge the growth of the eggs, which can be monitored every 18, 24 and 32 hours. Now, the machine is doing it. The robotic AI does the embryo selections -- how much has it grown, is it equal size, and so on. The parameters we provided in the beginning give you the best option for implantation," he added. "[Safe] IVF Centre has already started using AI to conduct semen analysis. We have been using an automated semenizer, based on AI called LensHooke, for three years. We used to do it manually earlier, but now using the machine has made the process simpler. While we are not using AI for embryo selection, I'm sure many IVF centres in India are using it," he further explained. Bonraybio, a team of engineers and scientists with experience in the medical instrument field, has developed products called LensHooke semen analysis systems and quality analysers that have assisted the Safe IVF Centre for the past three years. In 2022, Bloom IVF Centre, one of India's most established fertility organisations, introduced a new AI tool named Life Whisperer AI -- a fast and non-invasive method to enhance pregnancy success rates for IVF patients. Life Whisperer is a product of the French AI healthcare company Presagen. It is used to assess two embryo quality metrics. According to the product's website, Life Whisperer is currently authorised for sale in over 40 countries. Last year, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) collaborated with Amity University and developed an AI-based tool to detect the genetic cause of male infertility and help predict IVF results. "Nowadays, AI is being used in stem cell harvesting, but it's still in the experimental stage. Moreover, we will see growth in AI use [in reproductive health] in the next five years at least," Dr Madhu added. Meanwhile, Sp0vum, a tech startup company, has developed a gripper-based technique called RoboICSI to assist embryologists in performing enhanced IVF treatments. Unlike traditional treatments, which require skilled embryologists to handle the delicate procedure, the gripper reduces the risk of damage and improves the fertilisation outcome, the company stated. The company is also reportedly working towards automated systems called computer-aided semen analysis (CASA) and quantitative embryo assessment techniques. Essentially, there has been a lot of growth in AI technological use in reproductive medicine, but safe deployment and frequent testing in IVF centres are critical. Many researchers in India have taken a keen interest in introducing AI-based systems that could successfully solve infertility issues and enhance reproductive health.

First Baby Born From Robot-Controlled IVF

FRIDAY, April 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- The world's first baby conceived through robot-controlled fertilization has been born, researchers say. The boy was born to a 40-year-old woman in Guadalajara, Mexico, following a previous in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempt that had produced only one mature egg and no embryos, researchers said. Her newborn was conceived using a fully automated, digitally controlled version of an IVF procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI. Remote operators in Guadalajara and in New York - 2,300 miles away - oversaw the automated system as it selected a sperm, prepared it for injection, and then injected it into a waiting egg. In ICSI, skilled lab technicians manually inject a single sperm directly into an egg, potentially creating an embryo that can then be implanted into the mother. The process involves 23 painstaking steps, and results can vary between technicians, researchers said. To try to improve the process, a research team created an automated workstation in which these steps are performed under AI control or under the digital control of a remote operator. 'With AI, the system autonomously selects sperm and precisely immobilizes its midsection with a laser ready for injection -- executing this rapid, precise process with a level of accuracy beyond human capability," lead researcher Gerardo Mendizabal Ruiz, director of the Computational Perception Laboratory at the University of Guadalajara, said in a news release. For this study, five eggs were assigned to fertilization with the automated ISCI system, while three were fertilized by human lab technicians using standard methods. The eggs came from a 23-year-old donor, and were injected with sperm from the new mother's 43-year-old partner. Four of the five injected eggs in the automated system achieved fertilization, compared with all three in the standard method group. One high-quality embryo fertilized with the automated system was transferred into the mother, who became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy, researchers said. The system "represents a transformative solution that promises to enhance precision, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent outcomes," Jacques Cohen, an embryologist with Conceivable Life Sciences in New York, said in a news release. Conceivable Life Sciences created the automated system and funded this clinical trial. The entire automated fertilization procedure took an average of about 10 minutes per egg, slightly longer than routine, manual ICSI, researchers reported. "We expect to reduce procedure time significantly" as the automated process is further honed, Mendizabal-Ruiz said. Next, researchers plan to validate the system's effectiveness by testing its performance in a clinical trial involving more cases.

First Baby Born With Help From a Robot in AI-Assisted IVF

Procedure conducted by Conceivable Life Sciences in Mexico and New York The world's first baby was born following conception using a fully automated, digitally controlled intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) system. The system automates each of the 23 steps of the standard ICSI procedure, either under artificial intelligence (AI) control or under the digital control of a remote operator. The automated process promises to enhance precision, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent outcomes through reduced variability and work-related stress on human operators. Additionally, the automated method might help maximise injection timing and increase egg survival. With improvements in sperm and egg selection, artificial intelligence has made notable changes in the IVF lab. The newest technique applies artificial intelligence to guide the microinjection inside the egg and position the sperm cell in the injection pipette. The successful birth occurred at Hope IVF Mexico in Guadalajara in a 40-year-old woman referred for treatment using donated eggs. The safe performance of the system in a study including additional patients will determine its validity in a broader therapy application. According to the report, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) process was mostly finished by remotely controlled robots. The embryo came via ICSI, initially established in the 1990s using IVF methods. ICSI involves injecting one sperm cell directly into an egg, while conventional IVF places an egg cell in a dish with thousands of sperm. When a man is infertile, this approach helps since the sperm could find it difficult to reach the egg without intervention. A team at Conceivable Life Sciences, a fertility biotech startup with offices in New York City, developed the technology automating the procedure. From identifying the best sperm to injecting it into an egg to deciding on the most viable embryos, the researchers created a system able to finish the 23 stages required in ICSI. Based on the morphology of the sperm cells, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm helps the automated system select the optimal sperm to inject into the egg. A second artificial intelligence algorithm selects the most appropriate embryos based on their chromosome appearance and chances of implanting in the uterine wall. While the conventional procedure clocks in at 1 minute and 22 seconds on average, the automated ICSI method takes more time -- an average of 9 minutes and 56 seconds -- for every egg. In this experiment, the scientists used eight egg cells total -- five fertilised using the new method and three using hand ICSI. The automated system produced four embryos from the five eggs, even though the three eggs in the hand group were all successfully fertilised.