Why does Elon Musk dare to assert that robots will surpass even the best surgeons in the world in the next 5 years?

Despite the controversy over ethics and reliability, the reality is that robots are gradually taking over areas that are considered “inviolable” by humans, such as healthcare, industrial operations, etc

In a new statement on the X platform (formerly Twitter), billionaire Elon Musk predicted that robots will surpass the world’s best surgeons in just the next 5 years. According to Musk, not only will robots catch up with humans, but robots will even “beat” top surgeons in terms of accuracy, speed, and execution.

“Robots will surpass the best surgeon in the next few years and surpass even the best surgeon in about 5 years,” Musk wrote on his personal account.

This statement is not accidental. It comes from real-life experiences at Neuralink – a company founded by Musk himself, specializing in researching technology to connect the human brain and computers. In the first successful transplant for patient Noland Arbaugh, Neuralink had to use a surgical robot to insert ultra-thin electrode fibers into the brain, a task that “no human hand can do.”

“The threads of the implant are so thin that they cannot be implanted accurately by human hands. Our surgical robot is designed to put these fibers in place with great precision and reliability,” Neuralink’s official website reads.

However, not everything is perfect. According to an earlier report from Neuralink, some of the electrode fibers were removed from the brain after the first patient was transplanted, causing part of the connection function to be disrupted. However, in the second transplant that took place in August 2024, the company said it did not record any fiber removal.

Musk’s bold prediction quickly attracted attention. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) commented sarcastically: “Sounds like a victory for humanity.”

Not only stopping at the field of neurology, Musk is also expanding the influence of robotics to the field of production and daily life with Tesla Optimus – a humanoid robot project developed by the Tesla team. These machines, according to Musk, will be capable of taking on “dangerous, repetitive or boring” jobs.

Optimus has not yet been commercialized, but in test videos, the robot has been able to fold things, move flexibly and recognize objects – foundational skills for a wide range of future applications.

Despite the controversy over ethics and reliability, the reality is that robots are gradually taking over areas that are considered “inviolable” by humans, such as healthcare, industrial operations, and even personal care. With the pace of advancement of AI technology, automation, and ultra-accurate sensors, the prospect of a cold but non-shaking machine replacing a doctor in the operating room may not be far away.