AI will trend as the most disruptive technology in the pharmaceutical sector in 2022

Despite being years away from exhibiting its full potential, artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a multipurpose solution to address challenges faced by the entire pharmaceutical value chain. For example, in drug discovery and development, AI can reduce time to identify drug targets; in manufacturing, enable intelligent process automation and optimise predictive maintenance; in supply chain, enhance demand forecasting and inventory management; and in marketing and sales, facilitate targeted marketing campaigns. According to a GlobalData survey on'The State of the Biopharmaceutical Industry', conducted with pharmaceutical industry professionals from November 17, 2021, to December 17, 2021, 40% of 177 total respondents highlighted AI as the technology expected to have the greatest impact on the pharmaceutical industry in 2022 (Figure 1). The pharmaceutical industry is data-driven. With the ever-increasing volume and complexity of data being generated by the sector, the need to analyse information will continue to pose challenges that can be best addressed by AI.