AI and Robotics Revolutionize Surgery, Finance and Wildfire Detection This Week
10 Bits: The Data News Hotlist
This week's list of top data news highlights covers November 29, 2025 to December 5, 2025 and includes articles on performing surgery remotely and using robotic dogs to detect fires.
- Enabling Autonomous Payments
InFlow, a fintech startup based in California, has built a tool that lets AI agents handle online tasks autonomously. The system can create accounts, fill in payment details, and complete transactions with a single automated request. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, speeding up processes like subscriptions or purchases.
New advancements in AI, robotics, and automation are transforming industries from healthcare to construction. Companies across the globe have unveiled cutting-edge tools that streamline complex tasks, improve precision, and reduce costs.
This week saw breakthroughs in robotic surgery, autonomous financial transactions, and even wildfire detection using robotic dogs.
In the medical field, Horizon Surgical Systems in the U.S. carried out the world’s first robot-assisted cataract surgeries. Surgeons controlled the robotic system remotely, achieving millimetre-level accuracy. Meanwhile, Sentante, a Lithuanian medtech firm, introduced its own robotic surgery platform, allowing doctors to perform delicate procedures from a distance with high precision.
Fintech startup InFlow, based in California, launched a tool that lets AI agents handle online tasks autonomously. The system can create accounts, fill in payment details, and complete transactions with a single automated request. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, speeding up processes like subscriptions or purchases.
Biotech firm Aether Biomachines in the U.S. developed an AI system that identifies and manufactures new molecules at industrial scale. A similar innovation came from Revvity, another American company, which uses AI to discover molecules for large-scale biotech production. Both systems aim to accelerate the development of advanced materials and pharmaceuticals.
In construction, Israeli startup LeanCon introduced software that automates pre-building planning. The tool cuts costs from around £1.6 million to almost nothing by optimising design and logistics before ground is broken.
Other notable innovations include Dassault Systèmes’ augmented reality training for hospital staff, which visualises airborne infections in patient rooms. The University of Bradford is testing robotic dogs to patrol landscapes and detect early signs of wildfires. St. Charles Health System in Oregon now uses a VR treadmill to help rehabilitation patients safely regain their ability to walk. And in food safety, U.S. nonprofit IAFNS released an AI app that scans ingredient labels and explains food additives to consumers.
These developments highlight how AI and robotics are reshaping efficiency and safety across sectors. Hospitals, financial services, and construction firms are among those adopting the new technologies. The tools promise faster operations, lower expenses, and improved outcomes in both everyday and specialised tasks.
