**6. Conclusion**

The goal of this chapter was to present the factors that both humans and machines face in the evolution of surgery, as well as the balance needed to have a fruitful collaboration. As the field of artificial intelligence has been catapulted into the medical field with many new innovations, the transformation of the medical field is inevitable. The question of how AI technology will affect the surgical profession has become pivotal, as the technology continues to grow, finding new ways to benefit surgeons and patients alike. AI should be viewed not as a threat, rather as another tool in the surgeon's armament for augmenting their skills, further benefiting the patients. The challenge facing AI integration into the operating room are not simple, but as presented herein, we already have some AI available at our fingertips. In the chapter we proposed a novel taxonomy scale encompassing every type of technology that could one day be used in the OR in a comprehensive manner. The PAD taxonomy for Surgical Autonomy may help to bring more awareness to surgeons. With a simple method for stratification of AI, surgeons may begin to feel more confident and be more willing to adopt newer options by understanding what they are utilizing.

Questions remain with regards to the legality and ethics of AI in surgery, specifically with regards to autonomy and task delegation, which may take time to understand and develop. As with any innovation, it is imperative to continue discussions within the surgical community to find the ideal way of collaboration between surgeons and advanced AI systems, to ensure a beneficial partnership.

*Human-Machine Collaboration in AI-Assisted Surgery: Balancing Autonomy and Expertise DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111556*
