Artificial intelligence is not holding a scalpel yet, but it is already changing how surgery works, and two companies are quietly positioning themselves to lead that shift when machines move from assisting surgeons to acting on their own.
For investors watching the rapid spread of AI across daily life, healthcare stands out as one of the most serious and high impact frontiers. AI already helps doctors read scans, plan procedures, and guide tools inside the human body. The next step, partly automated surgery, is no longer science fiction. Two companies sit closest to that future: Intuitive Surgical and Medtronic.
AI enters the operating room step by step
Surgery has always been a mix of skill, experience, and split second judgment. AI does not replace those things yet, but it is starting to support them in ways that matter.
Today, AI helps surgeons before and during procedures. It can map organs, track tools in real time, and warn doctors when something looks off. These systems learn from huge amounts of past surgical data, something no single human could ever absorb.
The key point is this: AI in surgery is already real, just not fully autonomous. What comes next is deeper automation, built on the same tools hospitals already trust.
That is why investors are not guessing which companies might lead this space. The leaders are already inside operating rooms around the world.
Intuitive Surgical and the power of focus
Intuitive Surgical is a pure play on robotic surgery. The company builds and sells the da Vinci surgical system, which is now a common sight in hospitals across the United States and many other countries.
In 2025, Intuitive Surgical installed 1,721 new da Vinci systems, up from 1,526 the year before. By the end of that year, more than 11,000 systems were in use worldwide. That growth matters because every procedure performed adds data, and data is fuel for AI.
The number of surgeries done using da Vinci systems rose about 18 percent in 2025. The company expects procedure growth of up to 15 percent in 2026, showing that demand is still strong.
One recent milestone signals where things are headed. Regulators approved an AI driven tool that helps surgeons make real time adjustments during lung surgery. The system does not act alone, but it already guides decisions inside the body.
It is easy to see the next step. Years of recorded movements, outcomes, and corrections could train AI systems to handle parts of surgery with minimal human input.
For growth focused investors, Intuitive Surgical offers clear exposure to that future. The risk is valuation. The stock trades at a high earnings multiple, meaning investors are paying a premium for long term promise rather than near term bargains.
How Medtronic plays the same trend differently
Medtronic approaches AI surgery from a broader angle. It is one of the largest medical device companies in the world, with products that span heart care, brain health, diabetes, and surgical tools.
Its robotic surgery platform, known as Hugo, competes directly with Intuitive Surgical in certain procedures. While Hugo is newer and less widespread, the core idea is the same. Robotic systems collect precise movement data, which can be used to build smarter software over time.
Medtronic does not rely on surgical robots alone. That matters for investors who want exposure to AI in healthcare without betting everything on one technology.
Another difference shows up in income. Medtronic pays a dividend and has raised it for decades. At around 2.8 percent, the yield is well above that of the broader market, offering steady returns even if AI progress moves slower than expected.
The company is also reshaping itself. Its diabetes unit is expected to be spun off, a move designed to sharpen focus and improve growth. For long term investors, that change could unlock value while AI driven surgery continues to develop in the background.
Why AI surgery is not hype this time
Skeptics often point to AI bubbles, and those fears are not new. But surgery is different from many tech trends because adoption happens slowly and carefully.
Hospitals do not chase fads. They adopt tools only after years of testing, training, and proof. Robotic surgery has already passed that test. AI layers are now being added on top of systems doctors already trust.
Here is what makes this shift credible:
-
Surgical robots are already standard in many procedures.
-
AI tools are approved for real time guidance in specific surgeries.
-
Each operation creates more data, improving future systems.
This is not about flashy demos. It is about gradual change in one of the most regulated fields on earth.
What this means for everyday investors
AI performing surgery on its own is still ahead, not here. But investors rarely make the biggest gains by waiting for the final proof. They invest when the foundation is clearly in place.
Intuitive Surgical offers direct exposure to robotic and AI driven surgery, with higher risk tied to its premium valuation. Medtronic offers a steadier path, mixing AI opportunity with diversification and income.
Both stand to benefit if AI takes on a larger role in operating rooms over the next decade. And both already have the tools, relationships, and trust needed to make that happen.
The real question is not whether AI will change surgery, but how fast hospitals will allow it to do more.
That pace will decide which investors feel early and which feel late.
