Revolutionizing surgical precision: the impact of robotics and AI on contemporary healthcare

Purpose The integration of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) into surgical practice represents a transformative leap in modern health care, offering enhanced precision, efficiency and improved patient outcomes. The comprehensive review examines the current landscape, key challenges and prospects of AI-assisted robotic surgery by synthesizing recent clinical data and diverse scholarly insights. Design/methodology/approach The study systematically reviews empirical evidence from randomized controlled trials, observational studies and narrative reviews across various surgical specialties, including oncology, pediatrics, urology and implant dentistry. Findings Findings reveal that AI-robotic systems enhance surgical accuracy, reduce complications and support faster recovery. However, results on cost-effectiveness remain inconclusive, influenced by variations in health-care infrastructure and economic assessment methods. Significant challenges persist, including ethical concerns about autonomous robotic decisions, limited accessibility in low-resource environments and the underdevelopment of integrated systems combining AI with technologies like augmented reality. The review calls for robust regulatory frameworks, standardized ethical guidelines and interdisciplinary collaboration to refine AI algorithms and surgeon training programs. Originality/value The comprehensive review examines the current landscape, key challenges and prospects of AI-assisted robotic surgery by synthesizing recent clinical data and diverse scholarly insights. A core focus of the study is a comparative evaluation of AI-powered robotic systems versus traditional surgical methods, highlighting their technological strengths and operational limitations. The review also explores the potential of emerging digital twin technologies virtual replicas of patients and surgical settings as tools to advance preoperative planning and intraoperative decision-making. Ethical considerations are critically analyzed, with particular attention to patient consent, autonomy, accountability and transparency in robotic-assisted procedures.