AI Reshaping Pharmaceutical Jobs, Creating New Roles Rather Than Eliminating Positions

The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a transformation in its workforce as artificial intelligence reshapes job roles rather than eliminating positions outright. Industry executives report that AI is not expected to lead to major job losses in biopharma, contrasting with trends in other sectors where AI has driven significant workforce reductions.

"I wouldn't say that AI is necessarily replacing jobs one-for-one," said Jae Yoo, executive director of EPM Scientific, a recruitment firm specializing in pharma, biotech and R&D hiring. "It's rehousing and reshaping the types of jobs that are now coming in."

A recent poll of industry executives echoed that sentiment, with pharma's C-suite leaders reporting that they don't think AI will lead to major job losses. Rather than replacing jobs, AI creates new roles and elevates existing ones, making curiosity, creativity and critical thinking essential skills for the future.

AI hiring has become a top priority for life sciences companies, with more than half of surveyed biotech executives saying that AI experts are among the top three roles they need to fill in the coming years. The search for AI talent is especially critical as life sciences companies invest in and build more in-house AI teams.

"I'm seeing more in-house analytics buildouts versus in previous years where they would outsource a lot of these to vendors," Yoo said. "Instead of using one person to oversee a vendor, they'll create that team internally."

Some companies have added substantial numbers of jobs through AI initiatives. Eli Lilly announced it's working with NVIDIA to build an "AI factory for drug discovery" that will create thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs, as well as jobs for engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians.

Drug discovery is the biggest area where life sciences companies will not only add AI functions but jobs as well. "AI is allowing companies to discover therapies and drugs at a fraction of the cost that it took before, and a fraction of the resources. So there's a booming demand for AI and machine learning engineering talent, specifically in discovery," Yoo said.

Pharmaceutical job titles are being reshaped by AI, creating hybrid roles that merge several functions and capabilities, such as commercial analytics and market access. "AI is allowing a lot of companies to transform some roles and make them more productive, versus hiring routine and repetitive rules-based positions," Yoo said. "Our clients are asking us more for cross-functional skill sets than maybe a technical expert in just one area."

Commercial analytics roles are also in high demand, with a need for workers who can analyze commercial data and real-world evidence. "Any positions and departments that directly affect time-to-market and any type of regulatory success is going to remain in high demand," Yoo said. "That cross-functional piece, I think, is going to be really important."

Yoo pointed to one company that combined departments after adding AI capabilities, requiring employees to work more cross-functionally. "You can call it restructuring, but there was not a single employee that was displaced," he said.

The pharmaceutical industry's broader focus beyond revenue may help it retain jobs that are being lost in other industries. "At companies like Amazon or any tech company, there's more of a bottom line that you have to prioritize," Yoo said. "Whereas in pharma, you're prioritizing therapies, drugs and patients."

Emphasizing the growing role of technology in healthcare, GN Singh, scientific advisor to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and former Drugs Controller General of India, said that artificial intelligence-driven research has become essential for the pharmaceutical sector. "The rapid integration of digital and AI tools in healthcare and medicine has made it imperative for the pharma industry to align with smart technologies," said Singh. He also stressed the need for AI-based drug discovery, improved regulatory mechanisms and innovation in pharmaceutical research.

Artificial intelligence accelerates the drug discovery process by analyzing vast datasets, identifying potential drug candidates, and predicting outcomes. Pharmaceutical companies implementing AI reduce time and cost associated with research while increasing the likelihood of success. AI-powered platforms can also optimize chemical compound selection, predict patient responses, and simulate clinical trial outcomes, making the drug development process more efficient and targeted.