A machine is now helping decide which sperm and which embryo gives a couple their best shot at a baby.
Sounds like science fiction.
It's already happening in fertility clinics.
Dr Manika Khanna, chairperson of Gaudium IVF, says AI isn't running the show.
But it's quietly changing the odds.
Stay with me.
For decades, picking the "best" sperm for ICSI came down to one embryologist.
One microscope.
One judgement call on shape and movement.
Human. Skilled. But subjective.
Now there's SiD — a sperm identification device.
It analyses movement patterns most human eyes simply can't catch.
For a couple who's tried and failed before, one more embryo isn't a stat.
It's another shot at hope.
Once fertilisation happens, the next call is even bigger.
Which embryo actually has the best chance of becoming a healthy pregnancy?
Erica — the Embryo Ranking Intelligent Classification Assistant — studies blastocyst images.
It ranks them on data, not just a trained gut feeling.
Dr Khanna is clear about what this isn't.
It isn't a replacement for the embryologist.
It's a second, tireless pair of eyes.
AI can spot patterns invisible to us.
It cannot hold a patient's hand after a failed cycle.
It cannot make the emotional call that only a doctor and a couple can make together.
"Can a machine improve the chances of having a baby?"
Dr Khanna's answer:
Yes — at specific moments.
Not the whole journey.
Just the moments that matter most.
That's all for now!
