Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the medical technology (medtech) landscape — transforming how devices are designed, how hospitals operate, and how patients receive care. At this year’s AdvaMed’s The MedTech Conference in San Diego, top executives from the world’s leading medtech companies shared how AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a core driver of real-world progress in clinical efficiency, diagnostics, and personalized healthcare.
Across multiple panels and interviews, CEOs from Medtronic, Olympus, Stryker, Insulet, Masimo, Hologic, and Dexcom discussed the tangible impact of AI on their organizations — from optimizing internal operations to enhancing their flagship medical device platforms. Together, their insights painted a clear picture: AI is becoming the connective tissue of modern medtech innovation, uniting robotics, data science, and digital health into a single, intelligent ecosystem.
Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha: “AI and robotics will define the next era of medtech”
For Geoff Martha, CEO of Medtronic, the convergence of AI and robotics marks the most exciting innovation wave the industry has seen in decades. “The innovation opportunities in medtech are the best they’ve been since I’ve been a part of it,” Martha said. “When you put AI in there and add robotics — and when I think of robotics, I’m not just thinking about these big mainframe robots. I’m thinking also about catheter systems … That’s all going to be automated.”
Martha emphasized that Medtronic already has a portfolio of FDA-approved AI technologies, helping streamline both clinical workflows and corporate operations. “I hear all these great case studies from companies around the world,” he added. “We’ve got to move even faster.”
For Medtronic, AI serves a dual purpose: it enhances product functionality, but also drives internal efficiency, from supply chain management to predictive maintenance of surgical systems.
Olympus CEO Bob White: “AI will become central to every GI suite”
Bob White, CEO of Olympus, shared how AI is reshaping gastrointestinal (GI) care. “There won’t be a GI suite anywhere around the world that’s not impacted by AI,” he stated. Olympus recently launched Olysense, described as an AI-enabled ecosystem connecting the entire GI suite — from image capture to data analysis.
White explained that AI goes beyond assisting physicians in detecting polyps: “Yes, the polyp detections through AI allow doctors to see better, but it’s more than that. It’s about building a connected, intelligent workflow.” He noted that Olympus plans to expand its AI investments both organically and through acquisitions, signaling an aggressive innovation strategy that blends technology development with portfolio expansion.
Stryker CEO Kevin Lobo: “Ambient intelligence is the next frontier”
At Stryker, AI is being used to make hospitals smarter and safer through what CEO Kevin Lobo calls “ambient intelligence.” Stryker’s acquisitions of Care.AI and Vocera are part of a strategy to embed AI-driven sensors and analytics into patient environments.
“Five years ago, I would have never thought I’d be buying an AI company,” Lobo admitted. “But it actually has sensors that watch what’s going on in the patient rooms, and that helps create alerts that go into a badge on a nurse to prevent falls, for example.”
He added that ambient intelligence can also revolutionize operating room management: “It can tell when a case is about to end before the next case starts. So we have a huge pipeline in R&D around ambient intelligence to bring more solutions to our customers.”
Insulet CEO Ashley McEvoy: “AI and data governance go hand in hand”
For Ashley McEvoy, CEO of Insulet, AI is inseparable from the company’s flagship product — the Omnipod insulin delivery system. “Our product absolutely relies on taking advantage of where the world of AI is going,” McEvoy said. With Omnipod collecting 24/7 patient data, AI is essential for generating personalized insights while ensuring cybersecurity and data privacy.
She emphasized the company’s commitment to responsible AI, balancing innovation with ethics: “We’re very much in a learning mode. It’s important that we get the balance between building cultural capabilities and staying on the cutting edge of patient care.”
McEvoy said that Insulet is investing heavily in data governance frameworks to ensure that its machine learning algorithms remain transparent, ethical, and compliant — a key differentiator in the evolving world of connected medical devices.
At AdvaMed’s The MedTech Conference in San Diego, the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) moved beyond hype to show how it’s already transforming hospital workflows, diagnostic imaging, and patient engagement. While the first wave of medtech AI focused on automation and image analysis, the next generation — as outlined by top industry leaders — is about scale, intelligence, and connection.
From Masimo’s virtual ICUs to Hologic’s AI-powered diagnostics and Dexcom’s real-time health insights, executives are redefining how AI serves both clinicians and patients — not as a replacement, but as a force multiplier for human expertise.
Masimo CEO Katie Szyman: “AI scales care and redefines hospital efficiency”
Katie Szyman, CEO of Masimo, described how AI is enabling hospitals to do more with fewer resources, particularly in critical care environments. “In the electronic ICU, where one person tries to monitor 50 patients, we’re using AI to get to scale,” she said. “Instead of looking at all 50 equally, AI scans the data and only shows the clinician those at risk.”
By filtering vast streams of patient data in real time, Masimo’s AI-powered systems can help clinicians focus attention where it matters most, allowing a single staff member to effectively monitor 300–500 patients simultaneously. “You’re not looking at 50 screens — you’re looking at five,” Szyman explained. “Those are the five that AI has already identified as being at risk.”
Szyman also noted that AI is reshaping back-office operations. “Writing regulatory submissions with AI will accelerate how we standardize and improve quality,” she said. “It’s phenomenal to see how it improves both patient care and operational efficiency.” She urged the industry to embrace creative, responsible AI adoption, saying companies should not fear automation but instead use it to free teams for higher-value work.
Hologic CEO Steve MacMillan: “AI empowers radiologists, not replaces them”
Steve MacMillan, CEO of Hologic, highlighted the profound impact of AI in medical imaging, particularly in breast and cervical cancer screening. He described how AI is addressing one of radiology’s biggest challenges — the fatigue and data overload that comes with analyzing thousands of images per day.
“It can be very fatiguing for radiologists to look through so many images,” MacMillan said. “Machine learning helps distill the data down and say, ‘Look at this slide three in the upper left quadrant,’ instead of hundreds of slides.”
Over time, radiologists have shifted from skepticism to advocacy. “When we started talking about AI a decade ago, many were threatened by it,” he recalled. “Now they see it as an enabler that makes their jobs easier and more accurate.”
MacMillan credited AI with helping Hologic expand beyond breast imaging into cervical cancer screening and other diagnostics. “In our field, the opportunities are incredibly rich and timely,” he said. “AI is helping radiologists move from reactive to proactive — detecting disease earlier, with greater confidence.”
Dexcom Interim CEO Jake Leach: “AI personalizes engagement and drives better outcomes”
For Jake Leach, Interim CEO of Dexcom, AI is the engine behind a new era of personalized digital health. As a pioneer in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), Dexcom collects vast amounts of real-time metabolic data from users — and AI is helping make that information more actionable.
“Our belief is that AI will help us drive deeper engagement with our products,” Leach said. “The more people engage with their health, the better their outcomes.”
Dexcom’s goal is to turn raw data into contextual insights for every user. “Monitoring gives a real-time feed of how your body reacts to food, activity, stress, and sleep,” Leach explained. “But the question people ask is, ‘What do I do with that?’ AI provides the answer — translating continuous data into simple, personalized recommendations.”
He emphasized that AI’s value lies not only in medical optimization but also in behavioral empowerment. By showing users clear cause-and-effect insights, Dexcom aims to help individuals make smarter daily choices, driving measurable improvements in glucose control and long-term health outcomes.
The medtech industry’s shared AI vision
Across these leaders’ perspectives, one theme stands out: AI is becoming an indispensable enabler of healthcare efficiency and equity. Whether it’s automating repetitive clinical tasks, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, or connecting patients to personalized insights, the technology is evolving from a support tool to a strategic pillar of medtech innovation.
In unison, the CEOs of Medtronic, Olympus, Stryker, Insulet, Masimo, Hologic, and Dexcom echoed a similar outlook — that the medtech industry must move fast but responsibly, ensuring AI enhances human judgment rather than replaces it.
As AdvaMed’s 2025 conference made clear, the era of intelligent healthcare is not on the horizon — it’s already here. From the operating room to the ICU and even wearable devices, AI has become the silent collaborator behind better, faster, and smarter medicine.
Powered by Froala Editor