Survey reveals that 72% of life science professionals believe industry is lagging in AI development

A survey from The Pistoia Alliance has revealed that nearly three-quarters (72%) of life science professionals believe their industry is behind the curve in the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Including 229 life science professionals, the survey, which was conducted via webinar in May this year (2018), has found that adoption of AI has improved from the previous year with 69% of companies using AI, machine learning, deep learning and chatbots compared to 44% in 2017. Further to this, another 19% of respondents signalled that they plan to use AI over the next 12 months, with only 12% of life science professionals who participated in the survey not using AI at all.

However, of those currently using AI within their organisations, just over a fifth (21%) felt as though the projects were not yet delivering meaningful outcomes and 21% also stated that they ‘didn’t know’ if their projects were delivering meaningful outcomes.

“This survey shows interest in AI remains strong, but there is still a challenge with moving past the hype to a realty where AI is delivering insights with the power to truly augment researchers’ work,” commented Dr Steve Arlington, president of The Pistoia Alliance. “It is significant that a majority of people in our own industry believe we are trailing other sectors in the use of AI, and we must address this issue by working closely with each other and with stakeholders in other sectors. Spaces to virtually collaborate, like our Centre of Excellence, will become even more critical as political and social shifts — from Brexit to changes to US immigration laws — impact how scientists share knowledge and ideas. AI is poised to have a radical impact on life sciences and healthcare, but the industry must give researchers the best chance of success.”

When asked which sector primary collaborations will focus on over the coming 18 months, the majority of respondents said with a technology or data provider (40%). This was followed by healthcare (22%), academia (15%) and the government and public sector (4%) — indicating the range of industries that life science companies will need to work with to realise AI’s potential.

To accelerate the successful use of AI, The Pistoia Alliance has launched its Centre of Excellence for AI in Life Sciences, aiming to encourage greater collaboration between stakeholders to bridge the gap between technology and science. By bringing together best practice, adoption strategy, events and hackathons covering a range of challenges, the Centre of Excellence will provide a virtual and physical co-working space, enabling life science professionals to learn how best to apply AI, machine and deep learning to R&D.

“AI is a multidisciplinary field that needs many inputs to make it effective, and we often hear from our members that making links with other industries, such as the technology sector, is a barrier to AI’s evolution,” commented Dr Nick Lynch, cofounder of The Pistoia Alliance. “Additionally, there are many concerns around whether AI will ‘take’ our jobs, and how we can ensure AI is ethical and unbiased. The Centre of Excellence will tackle these issues and more through other events and further research, helping researchers understand how AI will augment their work and the role of AI as a fundamental building block in building the Lab of the Future. Ultimately, patients’ lives depend on making breakthroughs, and we encourage anyone interested in AI to get involved with our Centre of Excellence.”