Not only AI transforms the way we work or communicate, but also the way we create life. Yes, you’ve read right, life! We are going to tell you the story of a couple who, after failing conceiving a baby, got to accomplish their dream of being pregnant and here’s when artificial intelligence (AI) comes into play by assisting a fertility treatment.
Luis is the name of the baby born thanks to artificial intelligence and he will be a turning point in reproductive medicine. So, let’s know more about this fascinating story!
Difficulties to conceive a baby
Edna and Tony are a couple who have been trying to make their dream of forming a family for years and it was impossible. The reason behind this situation was that Edna suffered from ovarian insufficiency, which affects the production and quality of eggs, making natural pregnancy so difficult or even impossible.
However, instead of giving up, they tried everything in their power and they could see the face of their baby thanks to technology.
Fertilization process became technological
In 2023, the couple had nothing to lose and decided to start a pilot study in the private clinic Hope IVF, in Mexico City. This clinic is operated by a company called Conceivable Life Sciences, which has developed the first in vitro fertilization automated laboratory in the world. This means the job is not done by hand, instead, AI and robotics are taking over the most delicate tasks in the fertilization process.
What exactly does AI do?
AI is in charge of a process called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), this is directly introducing just one sperm into one egg which is a crucial step to make the embryo. Normally this would be done by a human embryologist with specialized equipment, but now is the AI guiding a machine!
The machine will follow more than 200 steps which allows it to have a more precise control over each stage of the process. What’s more, the automation is useful for doing it remotely.
Luis was born!
The treatment was a success and Luis was born in November of last year. He became the first baby in the world to be conceived with the direct help of AI in the fertilization process. This marks a before and after in the history of medicine and technology, because it proves AI isn’t just useful for diagnostic tasks, but also for taking part in the creation of a new life.
Are there any more cases after Luis?
Sure! So far, there are 41 patients who have been subjected to this type of treatment using an AI automated system in the Hope IVF laboratory, where 21 pregnancies were confirmed and 18 successful births.
Future of medicine
Luis Miguel Campos is the doctor who helped Edna and Toby throughout the whole fertilization process. He explained this technology needs to be more developed to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of these treatments.
It’s true this technology is still in the early stage of development, but the potential of AI in reproductive medicine is huge. The more technological advances there are in this field, the more couples will benefit from this optio, like Edna and Tony did.
Many couples can’t have a baby because of different reasons and Edna and Tony are a bit of hope for them. The participation of AI in these types of processes was unthinkable, but now it’s a reality. Who would have thought AI could be involved in the creation of a new life? I mean, not many people can say they are in this world thanks to AI.