A couple, unable to conceive for nearly two decades due to the husband’s azoospermia, has achieved a successful pregnancy, thanks to a pioneering AI-driven technology called STAR (Sperm Tracking And Recovery) developed at Columbia University Fertility Center.

STAR uses advanced AI, high-speed imaging, microfluidics, and robotics to scan millions of photographic frames—up to 8 million per hour—and identify extremely rare sperm cells that traditional methods often miss. In trials, it located 44 sperm within an hour in samples previously deemed sperm‑free by experts.

Once identified, these sperm are gently isolated without harmful chemicals or centrifugation, preserving their viability for IVF use ... and leading to a healthy pregnancy in March 2025. This marks the first-ever pregnancy achieved using AI to physically retrieve sperm from azoospermic samples.