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Life Tips 07/07/2025 16:14

After 18 years of trying, AI helps couple conc3ive by discovering 'hidden sp3rm' in inf:ertile man.

Could advanced goggles help in identifying hidden swimmers?
A couple is expecting their first child after nearly two decades of trying, thanks to an innovative AI technology that identified "hidden" sperm in a man once thought to be infertile.
This cutting-edge treatment, currently available only in New York, could provide renewed hope to thousands of men who were previously told they could never father a biological child.
Typically, healthy semen contains millions of sperm, but about 15% of infertile men experience azoospermia, a condition where there is little to no sperm present. “A semen sample may appear completely normal at first glance, but under the microscope, it’s filled with cellular debris and no visible sperm,” explained Dr. Zev Williams, director of the Columbia University Fertility Center, in a press release.
Up until now, men with azoospermia had very limited options, either using donor sperm or undergoing a painful surgical procedure where part of the testes is removed in search of sperm.
Frustrated by the lack of effective treatments, Williams and his team turned to a surprising source of inspiration: the cosmos.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology originally designed by astrophysicists to detect distant stars and planets, the researchers spent five years developing the STAR system — short for Sperm Tracking and Recovery — to search for a different kind of life.
And it works: In a test, a sample that embryologists had spent two days analyzing without success was examined using STAR, which found 44 sperm in just one hour.
“We’re utilizing the same technology used to search for life beyond Earth to help create life right here on Earth,” Williams said.
In March 2025, a woman known as Rosie became the first to conceive using the STAR method after nearly 19 years of trying with her husband, who has azoospermia.
“There was really no other option,” said Rosie, 38, in an interview with Time magazine. “I’m not old, but in fertility terms — egg-wise — I was nearing the end of my window.”
For her husband, the process was remarkably simple; all he had to do was provide a sperm sample.
Researchers then scanned the sample with advanced imaging technology, capturing over 8 million images in less than an hour. Using AI, they identified three viable sperm cells.
Once identified, the sperm were extracted swiftly by a robot, avoiding the damage caused by traditional methods like centrifugation, which spins the sample and can harm the cells.
“Imagine searching for a needle hidden in a thousand haystacks across ten football fields — and finding it in under two hours,” Williams told The Bump. “That’s the precision and speed STAR delivers.”
After extraction, the sperm can be used immediately for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or preserved for future attempts.
In Rosie’s case, her eggs were successfully fertilized within two hours of collecting her husband's sperm. A few days later, the embryos were transferred into her uterus.
Now five months pregnant, Rosie still feels a sense of disbelief. “I wake up every morning and can’t quite believe it’s real,” she shared with Time.
The STAR system is currently only available at Columbia University Fertility Center, where Williams confirmed that several other patients are already in the process of “banking” sperm.
The full process, which includes finding, isolating, and freezing sperm, costs just under $3,000. IVF in the U.S. typically costs between $12,400 and $15,000, with additional expenses for medications and genetic testing potentially pushing the price above $30,000, according to GoodRx.
Although the new technology holds promise, some experts remain cautious.
“While it seems promising at first glance, as with any new medical technology, especially in reproductive care, we need to gather more data and continue studying its effectiveness,” said Robert Brannigan, president-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, in an interview with The Washington Post.
The development of the STAR system comes amid a global rise in male infertility. One study found that sperm counts in Western men dropped by 52.4% between 1973 and 2011.
Scientists are still trying to pinpoint the exact causes, but environmental factors and lifestyle choices such as obesity, poor diet, and lack of physical activity are believed to be contributing factors.
As infertility rates increase, more couples are turning to assisted reproductive technologies like IVF and the STAR system in their quest for parenthood.
“With our method, many men who were previously told they had no chance at a biological child now have that opportunity,” Williams said.

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