According to Yicai, while the outside world is still discussing whether AI can assist doctors, Musk has already set his sights on complete replacement. He predicts that within three years, the professional capabilities of robotic surgeons will comprehensively surpass those of humans. In his view, this is not a laboratory vision but a clear milestone on the engineering roadmap.
Using robots' "electronic precise eyes," "smart brains," "dexterous hands," and unimpaired emotional states to make surgery more accurate and standardized is a shared vision in the medical field. Since the end of 2025, surgical robots have become the most "capital-attracting" sector in the healthcare industry, with very active financing, including several financing rounds involving hundreds of millions of dollars. According to data released by research institution Frost & Sullivan, the Chinese market for vascular intervention surgical robots is expected to increase to 5.824 billion yuan by 2030, with an annual compound growth rate as high as 90%.
Data from Qichacha shows that as of January 12, there are nearly 1,000 existing companies related to surgical robots in China, totaling 956, mainly distributed in first-tier cities and new first-tier cities, accounting for 39.41% and 33.54% respectively. In terms of registered capital, over 40% of related enterprises have registered capital of 50 million yuan or more, accounting for 44.4%. In terms of patents, as of now, there are 8,528 related patents for surgical robots in China, with over 70% of the patents applied for in the past five years.
