China-based medical robotics company MedBot said it has completed the world’s first animal trial of an autonomous surgical procedure powered by a large-scale artificial intelligence model, marking a milestone in the application of generative AI in healthcare.

The company said the trial was conducted using its in-house “MicroGenius” multimodal autonomous surgery model, which integrates perception, decision-making and robotic control to perform surgical tasks with minimal human intervention.

MedBot said the experiment represents the first publicly reported in-vivo animal test of an AI large model independently performing surgical procedures, filling a gap in both academic research and practical application.

The breakthrough could accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in clinical medicine, particularly in precision surgery, robotic-assisted procedures and intelligent operating rooms, the company said.

“This achievement not only demonstrates the feasibility of large-model-driven autonomous surgery, but also lays the groundwork for deeper integration between AI and medical robotics,” MedBot said in a statement.