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After 18 years without hope, a couple is expecting a child thanks to artificial intelligence. New hope for millions of couples

2025-07-04 08:31:25Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
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A couple who had been trying to have children for 18 years are finally expecting their first child, thanks to artificial intelligence.

They had undergone dozens of IVF (in vitro fertilization) procedures at fertility centers around the world, but everything was failing due to a rare diagnosis: azoospermia, a condition in which no measurable sperm are found in the man's semen. Even after hours of searching under a microscope, no sperm were visible.

Knowing that their options were running out, the couple – who preferred to remain anonymous – turned to the Fertility Center at Columbia University to try a new method called STAR – an artificial intelligence-based system that helps identify and rescue hidden sperm in the most unlikely cases.

After analyzing the husband's semen sample, the AI ??detected three live sperm cells – enough to fertilize the woman's eggs through IVF. The result? The first successful pregnancy ever achieved with this technology.

"It took me two days to believe I was really pregnant," the woman said in a statement to the BBC. "Every morning I wake up and it feels like a dream."

How STAR works: When technology goes beyond the limits of the microscope

The STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery) system is a technology that uses fast cameras and high-resolution images to scan millions of sperm images in less than an hour. AI trained to recognize the appearance, movements and characteristics of sperm is able to identify cells invisible to the human eye.

“Our technicians searched for two days and found nothing. STAR found 44 sperm in one hour,” said Dr. Zev Williams, leader of the team that developed the method. “That’s when we knew we had something that would be a game changer.”

The system does not use laser beams or harmful dyes – so the sperm found can be used immediately for fertilization.

A new hope for millions of couples

About 40% of infertility cases are related to the male partner, and about 10% of infertile men are diagnosed with azoospermia. Until now, options were limited and often involved painful and risky surgical interventions on the testicles. This new technology could be a revolutionary alternative, avoiding surgery and offering a new path for couples who previously had only two choices: sperm donation or childlessness.

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but finding it in an hour – and without damaging anything,” said Dr. Williams.

Currently, this method is only available at the Columbia University Fertility Center, and the cost for identifying, isolating, and freezing sperm runs about $3,000.

But the team's goal is to publish the research and distribute the technology to other fertility centers around the world.


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