[Although it’s not mentioned in this story from Futurism or in the company’s press release, my first reaction to the news that a robot controlled not by a human but by artificial intelligence has performed successful dental surgery on a human patient was to wonder what the patient thought of the idea and experience. How much did they trust the robot? Did they anthropomorphize it and experience medium-as-social-actor presence? How nervous were they before and during the surgery? Would they do it again? More generally, what would or will be the psychological barriers to widespread adoption of other replacements of humans with technology in activities that are, or at least are perceived, as dangerous? For example, self-driving cars are one thing, but how would people think and feel about their airplane pilot if it wasn’t human? Cliff Nass and some of his students conducted a study in the early 1990s about such things; it’s startling to realize that the evolution of technology has made the questions so relevant. See coverage of the robot-performed surgery in Newsweek for other details, images and a video.–Matthew]

Robot Performs First Ever Fully Autonomous Dental Surgery on Live Patient

The company claims it’s eight times faster than a human dentist.

By Victor Tangermann
August 3, 2024

A dental robotics company claims to have used an AI-controlled robot to perform a fully autonomous dental procedure on a human patient — for the first time, heralding a possible new era for dental treatment.

Perceptive, the company behind the robot, claims its system can shave off a considerable amount of time for routine procedures. The bot can replace crowns in just 15 minutes, it says, which takes a human dentist two hours across two office visits to complete.

The company says it’s tested the device on a patient in Colombia, but has yet to release any peer-reviewed clinical data. As Stat points out, the company will need this data to apply for Food and Drug Administration approval, something that’s still around five years away, according to Perceptive CEO Chris Ciriello.

Nonetheless, the company is celebrating the test as a big win.

“We’re excited to successfully complete the world’s first fully automated robotic dental procedure,” said Ciriello in a press release. “This medical breakthrough enhances precision and efficiency of dental procedures, and democratizes access to better dental care, for improved patient experience and clinical outcomes.”

The robotic system uses a handheld 3D scanner that captures highly detailed 3D images of beneath the gum line, allowing patients to “clearly visualize their dental conditions.”

The AI then comes up with an efficient and precise procedure.

“The robotics system has been designed and rigorously tested to ensure that dentists can perform treatments safely, even in conditions where patient movement is prevalent,” said dentist and Perceptive investor Edward Zuckerberg in the press release.

Perceptive has raised a considerable $30 million in funding, including from Zuckerberg — who also happens to be the father of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It’s unclear whether the younger Zuckerberg is involved in the financing of the venture.

Robotic surgery has made big strides over the years, and companies are hoping to leverage AI technologies to bring the tech to the masses. But when that will happen remains an open question, as they still have plenty of regulatory hurdles to overcome.