‘Doom of humanity’ and ‘A tool that will replace and render humans useless’- the past few years have been bombarded with such speculations with the rise of AI at an alarming rate. However, every coin has two sides. With the correct administration, monitoring and supervision, AI can overcome human limitations and guide us towards a brighter and more hopeful future. In recent years, various path-breaking discoveries in the biological and medical fields have altered  how we deal with health, and disease.

There is a famous proverb that states, “A good surgeon must have an eagle’s eye, a lion’s heart and a lady’s hand.” However, doctors are bound by the constraints of being human. Fatigue, exhaustion and tremors restrict the human body from hundred per cent efficiency. With the blend of a doctor’s expertise and a robot’s precision, the discovery of Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS) has improved patient outcomes, reduced the time for hospital stay and significantly reduced blood loss and damage to surrounding tissues during surgeries. This system comprises a robotic arm, console, patient cart and image screen, which provides a three-dimensional view of the target area for surgery. The motion of the robotic arm is controlled by its input data and the surgeon’s hand movement, allowing it to navigate a small field with accuracy and finesse. More than a hundred robotic systems have been installed across the country to assist in the fields of cardiology, laparoscopy, gynaecology and more.

Another significant discovery is the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) for the treatment of mental health disorders. They morph the real-life environment with a virtual and stimulated one. VR headsets can be useful as a meditation tool for patients with insomnia, anxiety or depression. Whether it be the serene Himalayas or the tranquil Ganges- people can travel anywhere in the world, relax and wind down in the comfort of their homes. AR is also being used as a means of exposure therapy for PTSD patients to overcome their traumas or phobias.

One of the mysterious connections between twins is their extraordinary similarity in appearance, mannerisms and habits. Inspired by this unique connection, scientists have discovered AI digital twins. Digital twins replicate a physical object in the virtual environment by duplicating its appearance, characteristics, and behaviour through data analytics, machine learning, and AI. It is used to replicate patient organ systems for simplified medicine development and personalised treatment plans. For example, it can replicate how cancer cells spread by metastasis and the effect they have on surrounding organs and tissues. This provides scientists the opportunity to research effectively for a possible cure in a non-invasive manner.

Forget about editing your Instagram captions; now it’s possible to edit genes! The discovery of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) has caused a buzz in the scientific world. It has been developed from the genome editing system that bacteria use as an immune defence. It is being used for the treatment of genetic disorders such as sickle cell anaemia, haemophilia, and inherited eye diseases and has aided us in our understanding of cancer genetics and tumours. All these discoveries will definitely pave the way to a more advanced and prosperous future.