The Potential of AI in Revolutionizing the Operating Room: Insights from Akara

The Costly Problem Hospitals Face That AI Can’t Fix Yet

While AI and robots in healthcare get a lot of attention, the real issue draining hospitals financially is the lack of efficiency in operating room coordination. Every day, two to four hours of OR time are wasted not during surgeries, but in the chaos of manual scheduling and room turnover.

In a recent episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, TechCrunch AI Editor Russell Brandom spoke with Conor McGinn, co-founder and CEO of Akara. Akara, recognized as one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2025, is revolutionizing hospital operations with an air traffic control-like system using thermal sensors and AI.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

• Discover why Akara shifted focus from cleaning robots to ambient sensing and how thermal sensors address privacy concerns in documenting surgeries.

• Learn how NHS vetting opened doors for Akara in U.S. hospitals.

• Uncover the primary obstacle hindering medical robotics progress (hint: it’s not the robots themselves).

• Find out why a significant portion of the nursing workforce may depart in the next five years and the implications for automation.

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