Neurosurgeons in London have carried out the world’s first procedure in which an artificial intelligence system supported surgeons in real time during live brain surgery. The operation at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, part of University College London Hospitals, was performed on 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert from Bedfordshire, who had an approximately 11mm tumour on his pituitary gland. The tumour had progressively damaged his vision and could ultimately have left him blind. Crucially, the AI did not perform the operation itself: the surgeons remained in full control while the system analysed the live endoscopic video feed and highlighted critical structures at the base of the brain, including nerves and blood vessels. In this densely packed area, an error of only a few millimetres can result in blindness, stroke or life-threatening complications.
The surgery, carried out in May 2026, successfully removed the tumour while protecting Hibbert’s sight. He said his vision had improved dramatically when he woke from the operation, and within a week he was able to walk independently without glasses or walking aids. The AI system was developed by researchers at University College London and trained using hundreds of videos from previous surgical procedures, enabling it to recognise anatomy, surgical instruments and interactions between instruments and tissue. The technology remains part of a clinical research programme and is designed to assist rather than replace surgeons, but researchers believe it could make highly complex operations safer and more precise. The trial is funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research and Google. Sources: UCLH, University College London and NIHR.
