After 18 years of infertility, a couple has conceived through AI-powered STAR technology, a breakthrough method developed at Columbia University in New York.
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| Using Columbia University’s AI-driven STAR method, a couple has achieved pregnancy after 18 years of infertility caused by azoospermia—a global first. Image: Collected |
New York, USA – July 11, 2025:
In a groundbreaking achievement for reproductive medicine, a couple who endured 18 years of infertility have successfully conceived a child thanks to a new artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed at Columbia University Fertility Center (CUFC) in New York.
The couple, whose identity remains undisclosed, had previously attempted in vitro fertilization (IVF) in several countries, but all efforts failed due to the male partner’s diagnosis of azoospermia—a rare condition characterized by the absence of sperm in semen. While typical semen samples contain millions of sperm per milliliter, repeated tests had yielded nothing.
Their breakthrough came at CUFC, where they were introduced to a revolutionary new method known as STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery)—a system powered by AI that can locate and extract hidden sperm cells undetectable by traditional techniques.
Developed by Dr. Jeff Williams and his research team over five years, the STAR method analyzes semen using high-powered imaging combined with machine learning. In this case, while expert lab technicians found no sperm over two days, the STAR system identified 44 viable sperm in just one hour, making pregnancy through IVF possible.
"This was the moment we knew it could change lives," said Dr. Williams. "To go from zero to 44 sperm in a sample that had been declared infertile is a game changer."
The woman became the first person in the world to conceive using the STAR method, marking a historic milestone. “It took me two days to believe I was really pregnant,” she said. “Even now, I wake up and think, ‘Is this real?’ until I see the ultrasound.”
The STAR system works by placing a semen sample on a custom-designed chip beneath a microscope. Over the course of an hour, it captures more than 8 million high-resolution images, which the AI then analyzes to locate even the rarest living sperm.
This innovation is offering new hope to couples worldwide who face similar challenges. Particularly for men diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia—a condition once considered a near-certain barrier to biological fatherhood—the STAR method could redefine the possibilities of modern fertility treatment.
With this successful case, CUFC’s AI-driven approach has the potential to revolutionize reproductive healthcare, bridging technology and biology to overcome some of the most difficult forms of infertility ever recorded.