Last week, during the annual meeting of the Asociación Madrileña de Otorrinolaringología (AMORL), the new monograph Artificial Intelligence in Otolaryngology: from the basics to the clinic was presented. We were honored to contribute a chapter on one of the most exciting and disruptive topics in modern surgery: autonomous robotic surgery.
For decades, surgical robots have acted as sophisticated extensions of the surgeon’s hands. Today, a new paradigm is emerging. Artificial intelligence is beginning to move beyond assistance and into the realm of learning, prediction, guidance, and eventually partial autonomy. As discussed in our chapter, the future is not about replacing surgeons, but about creating intelligent partnerships between humans and machines.
One of the most fascinating developments comes from the collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University. By training transformer-based AI models on thousands of hours of surgical video synchronized with robotic motion data, researchers are teaching robots to understand surgical tasks in ways that were unimaginable only a few years ago. These systems can already perform selected tasks with remarkable precision and consistency, bringing us closer to a future of semi-autonomous robotic surgery (actually, a surgical robot just finished an operation with almost total autonomy).
Meanwhile, AI is already transforming clinical practice today (not just in surgery, certainly). Advanced robotic platforms can analyze surgical performance, provide objective feedback, improve training, assist with anatomical recognition, and enhance intraoperative decision-making. In ENT surgery, AI-assisted systems are helping surgeons identify critical structures, optimize procedures, and improve patient safety.
What seemed like science fiction a decade ago is becoming reality. The pace of change is accelerating. For surgeons, the message is simple: the future is becoming the present every day. If you want to remain at the forefront of surgical innovation, you must understand these technologies, learn how they work, and embrace the opportunities they offer. Those who surf the wave will help shape the future of surgery. Those who ignore it risk being left behind.
At headneckroboticsurgery.com we will continue following, analyzing, and explaining the latest advances in robotic surgery, artificial intelligence, and their applications in Otolaryngology – Head&Neck Surgery. Stay curious. Stay informed. Stay ahead.
J Granell. June 23, 2026.
References
Kim JWB, Chen JT, Hansen P, Shi LX, Goldenberg A, Schmidgall S, Scheikl PM, Deguet A, White BM, Tsai R, Cha RJ, Jopling J, Finn C, Krieger A. SRT-H: A hierarchical framework for autonomous surgery via language-conditioned imitation learning. Sci Robot. 2025 Jul 9;10(104):eadt5254. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adt5254.
Granell J, Lopez-Tello H, Fernandez-Rastrilla I, Gutierrez-Fonzeca R. Inteligencia artificial y robótica quirúrgica en ORL. En Inteligencia artificial en ORL: de los fundamentos a la práctica clínica. C Carazo, A Lopez, J Davin, A Alcala. Cap. 4. Pg 21. Ed: AMORL. Madrid 2026. ISBN 978-84-0987982-3.
