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Imagine struggling for a child for almost two decades. Trying everything you possibly could. A couple from the United States tried In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for years. Ran from one lab to another for tests, and considered every possibility with no success. The reason? A condition called Azoospermia. Azoospermia happens when sperm is absent from your ejaculate. Possible reasons include a blockage in the reproductive tract, hormone problems, issues with ejaculation, or testicular problems with structure or function. Often treatable, the condition affects 15 percent of infertile men worldwide.
How AI Helped Couple Conceive after 18 Years
Azoospermia makes it almost impossible for doctors to identify the sperm. However, the fertility centre at Columbia University in the USA, has developed an AI system that can not only track the sperm but also help harvest so that it could be potentially used for conceiving. The AI model called STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery) is anticipated to assist men experiencing azoospermia, a condition where sperm is not directly found in the semen. This technique is a breakthrough because it can harvest hidden semen, offers a non-invasive extraction method and provides an option to men who are dealing with fertility challenges. There is a price tag of less than $3,000 (Rs 2.6 lakh) attached to the method. Dr. Zev Williams, Director of the Infertility Center at Columbia University, says “Despite the fact that many AI systems have already been created to scan for and detect specific features, STAR is special because it takes that analysis a step further and is also able to actively isolate the target itself—in this case, any sperm that are present in a semen sample. The system is capable of scanning eight million images in roughly an hour. In order to test the system, we decided to test samples that had been seen by embryologists and discarded, where embryologists couldn't find any sperm. The embryologists were also aware that we were testing the system, and were really trying to find sperm because they didn't want to be upstaged by a machine. In one case, they analysed for two days and found no sperm, while within an hour the system found 44 minutes.”
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According to the US media, Rosie and her husband became the first couple to have a pregnancy utilising STAR in March of 2025. This couple had tried to complete a pregnancy for almost 19 years. Prior to the pregnancy, Rosie and her husband had pursued multiple types of fixes for her husband's azoospermia, which included surgery and having an overseas expert examine and extract sperm through manual analysis of the sample. They had also researched one of the options of extracting sperm in a more contested way using chemicals that they hoped did not change the quality of sperm through the process. For this couple, STAR was utilised without any further testing or procedures. The cycle that resulted in a pregnancy in March went no differently than every other IVF cycle they had had.
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Bottom Line
Although this model is indeed a breakthrough in its own right, the experts believe that these sort of AI driven innovations can only supplement the conventional treatment for infertility and not replace it as such.