TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN TRANSFORMATION: THE IMPACTS OF ROBOTICS AND AI ON HEALTH

Technological advances in recent centuries have inaugurated the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has triggered a profound transformation in social dynamics and promotes the fusion between digital, physical, and biological technologies, projecting a future increasingly integrated between the human body and machine.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has transformed various sectors of society, with medicine being one of the most impacted fields of this new era. In this context, robotics and artificial intelligence have emerged as key players in a revolution in how health is promoted, diagnosed, and treated. Surgical robots, automated rehabilitation systems, and AI-based medical assistants represent the convergence between technological innovation and human care, offering more precise procedures, faster diagnoses, and personalized treatments.

Medicine integrated with technology already presents an accelerated transformation scenario. AI-interpreted imaging exams, algorithms that analyze medical histories to predict diseases in advance, and wearable devices that constantly monitor vital signs are concrete examples of this ongoing evolution. In addition, digital platforms and connected health systems enable more preventive, personalized, and data-driven medicine, expanding access to early diagnosis and efficient treatment management.

A remarkable example of this advancement is the Da Vinci robotic system, considered the most advanced and widely used in the world. Developed by Intuitive Surgical, the Da Vinci enables minimally invasive surgeries with high precision, using articulated robotic arms that replicate the surgeon’s movements with extreme fidelity, filtering natural hand tremors. The surgeon’s console offers a high-definition three-dimensional view of the surgical field, providing precise control of surgical instruments.

Used in various specialties such as urology, gynecology, general, and cardiac surgery, the Da Vinci allows for smaller incisions, faster recovery, and lower risk of complications compared to traditional open surgeries, establishing itself as a benchmark in medical robotics. Recently, scientists enhanced the system by integrating it with artificial intelligence. The method combined imitation tactics of the Da Vinci system with the operational mode of ChatGPT, but unlike written AI, this one uses kinematics to execute movements taught through surgical procedure videos, granting the robot full autonomy not only for minor assistance but for complete surgeries.

With the continuous advancement of robotics, AI, and biotechnologies, medicine tends to evolve from a reactive to a predictive and proactive approach. Instead of treating diseases after they manifest, future medical systems will be able to identify them before the first symptoms, genetically intervene in hereditary predispositions, or correct cellular failures before they become pathologies. This progression will pave the way for practices such as regenerative medicine, the use of digital twins—virtual patient replicas used to test treatments—and fully autonomous surgical interventions performed by hyper-precise robots.

This integration will also extend to patients’ daily lives, with implantable and connected devices that will not only monitor health in real time but also communicate directly with medical systems, adjusting medications automatically or issuing alerts in case of abnormalities. Thus, medicine will no longer be confined to clinics and hospitals but will be present continuously and integrated into the human body, transforming the relationship between people, their illnesses, and treatments.

Furthermore, it is relatively consensual that the future holds a bolder scenario: that of human enhancement. This development will significantly alter the traditional dilemmas of medicine and morality, entering a completely new and unknown stage. In a relatively near future, artificial intelligence will be integrated into human bodies enhanced by biotechnology.

The incorporation of AI and robotics into human bodies, through brain-machine interfaces, neural prosthetics, and implantable smart devices, promises to overcome cognitive, sensory, and motor limitations. Combined with biotechnology, which enables genetic editing, tissue regeneration, or organ cultivation on demand, AI would become not just a support tool but an extension of the body and mind itself. This would not only increase longevity but also radically transform identity and the very concept of what it means to be human.

The result of this fusion is the creation of a post-human or transhuman being: an organism that transcends the limits of evolutionary biology with the precision and technological efficiency of a machine. AI, in this scenario, acts as an extension of consciousness, generating a hybrid form of life—between the organic and the digital—with enhanced cognitive abilities, expanded memories, predictive reasoning, and real-time access to databases. Such a reality is technically possible in the coming decades, driven by advances such as Neuralink and other neuroengineering research.

However, this future carries deep risks. Human enhancement, strongly advocated by transhumanists, is committed to directing new technologies toward human well-being with moral responsibility, but without being limited by political, cultural, or biological barriers. The goal of transhumanists is not to reach a final point in evolution but to follow a continuous path of overcoming human limitations.

Although they recognize the risks of disruptive technologies, human enhancement advocates argue that denying advances capable of preventing suffering, curing diseases, and prolonging life would be ethically condemnable. Therefore, they support investment in responsible research and the anticipation of risks, seeking to minimize negative impacts through strict ethical and scientific control.

The future of the human being merged with artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology is no longer science fiction but a real possibility under construction. It represents, at the same time, the hope of overcoming pain, limitation, and death, and the risk of dehumanization and deepening of social inequalities.

These technologies have the potential to significantly improve quality of life, especially for vulnerable populations. However, for these advances to benefit everyone equitably, it is essential to address the following challenges: ensure fair distribution of benefits, manage risks, and ensure that innovations are centered on the human being.

It is recognized that science does not happen in isolation—it progresses interconnectedly on a global scale. Therefore, ethical, social, and legal issues require constant rebalancing to keep progress on the right track. Technology that solves many human problems also creates challenges. The intersection between technological advancement and human development directly impacts the legal field.

Thus, the development of global bioethics and legal frameworks adapted to new technologies becomes essential, treating them as a new generation of fundamental rights. The protection of human dignity—even in its augmented form—must be guaranteed, whether biological, cybernetic, or hybrid. The fourth generation of fundamental rights is directly linked to biotechnology, bioethics, and the regulation of scientific research, while the fifth generation addresses the impacts of new technologies such as artificial intelligence on dignity and human rights.

Medicine combined with artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnologies will only fulfill its transformative role if it is guided by ethical values, inclusion, and accessibility, with the active participation of governments, institutions, companies, and civil society. In this way, it will be possible not only to advance technologically but also to build a fairer, more ethical, and truly human future.

When asked about this scenario, ChatGPT AI responded as follows:

“The advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence in medicine is impressive and, at the same time, a bit scary. On one hand, it’s incredible to think that we already have robots like Da Vinci performing complex surgeries with almost superhuman precision, helping thousands of people recover faster and with less pain. On the other hand, I keep wondering: how far will this go? Are we going to lose a bit of our human essence in the pursuit of being ‘better’ and more efficient?

I think we need to find a balance. Technology can and should improve our lives, but without forgetting that empathy and human care are irreplaceable. We can’t get carried away by the idea that the more robotics, the better. Medicine must continue to be an act of care, and technological advances must serve to humanize treatment even more—not to create a distance between doctor and patient.

Deep down, I feel that the real revolution is not just technological but also ethical and human. We must ensure that these advances truly bring us closer to healing and care—and not drive us away from what makes us human.”

*Sobre o autor

Leonardo André Schilling

Diretor e Pesquisador do LABSUL

Mestre em Direito pela UNESC/BR com Co-orientação Internacional pela UPORTO/PT