New Delhi: Billionaire Elon Musk on Monday claimed that robots could outperform even the best human surgeons within five years, citing recent advances in medical robotics and his own company’s work in brain-computer interfaces.
“Robots will surpass good human surgeons within a few years and the best human surgeons within five years,” Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter.
His remarks came in response to a post by influencer Mario Nawfal, who highlighted how US-based Medtronic’s Hugo robotic system had been successfully used in 137 real-world surgeries involving prostates, kidneys, and bladders — with a success rate of over 98 per cent and low complication rates.
Musk said his brain-computer interface company Neuralink relied on robotic precision for electrode insertion in the brain — a task he said was “impossible” for humans to perform due to the speed and accuracy required.
Neuralink is currently conducting clinical trials of its implantable device, which aims to help patients with paralysis or neurodegenerative conditions. Three people have received the implant so far, and Musk has said that, if trials succeed, “millions” could have Neuralinks within a decade.
Only two of the 137 surgeries using the Hugo system had to be converted to traditional methods — one due to a robot glitch and the other because of a complex patient case.
