[Current advances and challenges of artificial intelligence in cervical spine surgery]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly expanded its applications in medicine, demonstrating potential in imaging analysis, risk prediction, and decision support. Owing to the complexity of disease patterns and the experience-dependent nature of clinical decision-making, AI holds considerable promise in cervical spine surgery. However, most existing studies remain focused on retrospective modeling and technical validation, with limited evidence supporting clinical usability and generalizability. From a clinically driven perspective, this review summarizes the major application scenarios and developmental trends of AI in cervical spine surgery, and highlights key challenges related to causal inference, data quality, multi-center collaboration, and legal and ethical considerations, aiming to provide a rational basis for the standardized application of AI in this field.