AI helps couple conceive after 18 years of failed attempts with breakthrough approach

As artificial intelligence shapes fertility care, it’s now helping doctors at Columbia University Fertility Center find hidden sperm.Chinnapong/iStockphoto/Getty Images

In a powerful meeting of modern science and age-old human hope, a couple who spent nearly two decades trying to conceive is now expecting their first child—all thanks to a breakthrough in artificial intelligence.

For 18 long years, the couple, who wish to remain anonymous, underwent repeated rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) at fertility centers across the globe. Yet each attempt ended in disappointment. The obstacle? Azoospermia—a rare and devastating diagnosis where no detectable sperm are present in the semen. Though the condition affects around 10% of infertile men, its presence often goes unnoticed until couples face persistent infertility.

In most cases, azoospermia leaves fertility specialists with few options. Traditional solutions involve invasive surgeries to extract sperm directly from the testes or prescribing hormone therapies with uncertain success. But for this couple, the turning point came at Columbia University Fertility Center, where a new AI-powered technology called STAR—short for Sperm Tracking and Recovery—offered a glimmer of hope.

The STAR method was developed over five years by Dr. Zev Williams and his research team. It’s designed to detect sperm cells in semen samples that appear to contain none—even those already declared negative after hours of expert analysis. Using a high-powered imaging system connected to a microscope and a high-speed camera, STAR takes over eight million microscopic images in under an hour. Then, guided by machine learning, it rapidly scans and isolates rare sperm cells—sometimes just two or three—in samples where even trained embryologists have found nothing.

That’s exactly what happened in this couple’s case. Fertility experts had previously spent days examining the husband’s sample to no avail. But when STAR was deployed, it located three viable sperm cells in less than an hour. Those few, rare cells were enough. Using IVF, doctors fertilized the wife’s eggs and successfully implanted an embryo. She is now pregnant-marking the first confirmed pregnancy achieved using the STAR method.

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“It took me two days to believe I was actually pregnant,” the wife said in a statement. “I still wake up in the morning and can’t believe if this is true or not.”The baby is expected in December.

The STAR method represents a turning point not only for this couple, but for fertility medicine as a whole. Traditionally, IVF success in male infertility depended on either finding usable sperm through exhaustive manual searches or resorting to donor sperm. Now, AI is adding a powerful new layer of precision to a process that often felt like guesswork.

According to Dr. Williams, STAR's speed and sensitivity are redefining what’s possible. In one striking case, a semen sample declared sperm-free by experienced technicians yielded 44 sperm when reanalyzed with STAR. “That’s when we knew this was going to be a game-changer,” he said.

The system’s power lies not just in its speed, but in its gentleness. Unlike other imaging methods that require lasers or chemical stains, STAR works in a non-invasive, non-destructive manner. It finds and isolates viable sperm cells so delicately that they can still be used to fertilize an egg. That level of care is crucial when dealing with such minuscule numbers—often just two or three cells in total.

A normal semen sample contains around 200 million sperm. But in cases like this, where the odds are almost impossibly small, the precision of AI is transforming failure into success. “It’s like searching for a needle scattered across a thousand haystacks,” said Dr. Williams. “But STAR can find it, and fast.”

Infertility affects millions globally, and in about 40% of cases, the cause lies with the male partner. For men with azoospermia, the diagnosis often comes as a shock. Most experience no obvious symptoms, and semen samples appear normal to the naked eye. Only under a microscope does the absence of sperm become heartbreakingly clear.

Until now, treatment often meant surgical sperm retrieval—an invasive, painful procedure that can only be repeated a few times before causing damage. With STAR, couples may now avoid surgery altogether. Instead, a simple semen sample is enough, and the AI handles the rest.

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Although STAR is currently available only at Columbia University, Dr. Williams and his team aim to publish their findings widely and share the technology with other fertility centers. The cost to find, isolate, and freeze sperm using STAR is estimated to be just under $3,000—a potentially life-changing option at a fraction of the emotional and physical toll of repeated failed IVF cycles.

The impact of AI in fertility medicine extends beyond sperm detection. Experts like Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh, a San Francisco-based reproductive endocrinologist, say AI is being used to assess embryo quality, personalize IVF protocols, and predict success rates with unprecedented accuracy. Tools like Stork-A can identify the most viable embryos, while CHLOE helps evaluate egg quality before freezing.

“AI is helping us see what our eyes can’t,” said Eyvazzadeh. “It’s not replacing human expertise—it’s amplifying it. And that’s the future of fertility care.”

Still, some experts urge caution. Dr. Gianpiero Palermo, a pioneer in IVF technology, welcomes the promise of AI but stresses the importance of validation. “AI is gaining traction, but many models are still inconsistent,” he said. “You still need trained embryologists to work alongside the technology, and there will always be cases where no sperm can be found—no matter the method.”

Yet for many couples facing the heartbreak of infertility, even the smallest chance at parenthood is worth pursuing. And with tools like STAR, that chance may be greater than ever before.

“This is one of the oldest struggles in human history,” Dr. Williams reflected. “It’s incredible to think that our most advanced technology is finally helping solve it.”