Brave new world: A creative approach to AI

Machine learning offers considerable potential for streamlining and transforming routine information processes in life sciences -- but could more creative applications of artificial intelligence take things further still? The scope for artificial intelligence in life sciences is potentially significant -- enabling accelerated scientific breakthrough, thanks to new potential to identify the minutest anomalies in unwieldy global data masses, and facilitating greater drug personalisation. Far from hovering on some futuristic horizon, the technology is already available too -- which means pharma companies need to build it into their agendas and plans now, if they don't want to risk sacrificing competitive advantage. From intelligent internet and content searches that adapt to user preferences, to automated personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, and customer care channels such as web chat, AI is already in common use as part of people's routine activities. One of the great appeals of AI is the scope for process automation and acceleration, using clever algorithms that can complete complex tasks previously limited to human capacity.