The Sedasys anesthesiology machine might replace anesthesiologists.

It’s the leading tip of a healthcare automation wave that could transform hospitals just as technology changed automobile factories. “But,” The Washington Post reports, “this machine doesn’t seek to replace only hospital shift workers. It’s targeting one of the best-paid medical specialties, making it all the more intriguing — or alarming, depending on your point of view.”

But the very high prices charged by anesthesiologists make their replacement by machines very attractive to payers.