How AI is reshaping the IVF game

AI is no more considered just a research tool — it's becoming a standard part of IVF procedures, making them less complicated, more accessible, and raising chances of conception as well

- SREYA DEB

LAST YEAR, A 40-year-old woman in Mexico, who was undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment with donor eggs, gave birth to a healthy baby using a fully automated process assisted by artificial intelligence (AI).

The automated system handled every part of the sperm injection process, including selecting the sperm with AI, immobilising it with a laser, and injecting it into the egg - all with greater speed and accuracy than a human could.

Similarly, in mid-2025, in another medical first, an AI system helped a US couple conceive after 19 years of trying. The couple had earlier undergone multiple IVF cycles and surgeries without success. The AI system scanned over 2.5 million images of sperm cells at high speed to pick out two viable ones.

IVF is often said to have suboptimal success rates, with only about one-third of cycles resulting in pregnancy and fewer leading to live births. However, technological advancements, especially in AI, are aiming to enhance the various stages of the IVF process, and making the treatment facilities less complicated and more accessible, raising the chances of conception as well. "India's IVF field has changed fast," says Dr Sonia Malik, chief clinical mentor at Nova IVF, a leading fertility centre, with a network of state-of-the-art clinics across Delhi-NCR. “New embryology and digital tools are reshaping the game. These tools have shown proven results, producing better workability checks, fewer failed implants and higher success rates overall.”

Some clinics report up to 30% improvement in live birth outcomes - in particular with early-stage embryo selection, she adds.

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