When Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of deep learning, declared in 2016 that within five years artificial intelligence (AI) would replace radiologists, he raised many concerns about the future of healthcare workers. However, nearly a decade after that prediction, reality tells a somewhat different story (to the relief of radiologists, whose demand is actually steadily increasing).
However, albeit less rapidly and more complexly than expected, AI is indeed reshaping production processes, job roles, and skills in demand even in health care, continuing to fuel concerns about its impact on employment.
Currently, according to the World economic forum,47 percent of work activities are performed by humans, 22 percent are automated, and the remaining 30 percent come from the combination of humans and technology. By 2030, 33% of tasks will be fully automated, while 34% will result from the interaction between humans and AI.
Furthermore, Wef data show that60 percent of global companies believe that digital expansion will be the main transformative factor for their industry. Currently, 70% of new pharmaceutical discoveries come from interdisciplinary research, and 40% of global pharmaceutical companies have already partnered with AI and big data companies to optimize R&Dactivities. Clinical trials combining artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and bioinformatics, in particular, are growing at a rate of 30% per year. Furthermore, 86% of companies in the industry believe that AI technologies will radically transform pharmaceutical development processes by 2030.
Training and reskilling
With the adoption of AI, the pharmaceutical industry will require professionals with new skills. Digitization and advanced data analysis are now indispensable for those working in research, production, and quality control. Therefore, reskilling workers becomes a priority for companies.
According to the World economic forum, 44% of the skills required today will be revolutionized in the next five years, with an urgent need for training and upgrading for 60% of the workforce.
In this context, it is not surprising that the fastest-growing jobs expected include big data specialists, fintech engineers, AI and machine learning experts, and software developers. According to the U.S. Bureau of labor statistics, among the fastest-growing occupations, the one that will provide the highest compensation will bethe role of Computer and information research scientist, with an average salary estimated at $145,000 per year.
Pharmaceutical companies therefore face a double challenge: on the one hand, optimizing processes with AI, and on the other hand, ensuring an adequate training and retraining plan to prevent automation from resulting in job losses.
Generational differences
How do workers feel about this? Expectations of AI and its impact on the world of work vary widely by age. A MakingLife survey of more than 100 young Generation Z or Millennials in life science education reveals that 71 percent of them recognize the significant influence of AI on the world of work, but only 13 percent envision a radical transformation of existing roles. None of the respondents, however, believe that technological innovation will have a negligible impact on the business environment.
Despite this awareness, technological innovation is not considered a top priority: only 30 percent of the sample considers it essential to work for a company that invests heavily in this field. Interestingly, Gen Z is the one most concerned about falling behind in learning the skills needed to make the best use of it.
According to Censuswide research for LinkedIn that surveyed nearly 30 thousand people, this fear is inversely proportional to age:under 28, 29% of respondents say they are concerned, compared with 22% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Y, and 15% of Baby boomers.
Similarly, 44% of Gen Z say they are “overwhelmed”by the transformation that the introduction of AI is causing in the world of work, compared with 32% and 31% recorded by Gen Y and Baby Boomers, respectively.
Before and After
Fears about the impact on one’s job, however, may be mostlythe result of a lack of specific knowledge. For example, a scientific literature review study on the subject conducted at the University of Padua records a general improvement in workers’ perceptions once they began using AI.
According to the research analyzed, the introduction of artificial intelligence into work settings is initially met with distrust, anxiety and concerns about employment stability. The most widespread fear among workers concerns precisely job loss, particularly in Southern Europe, where 97 percent of workers in Portugal, 91 percent in Spain and 88 percent in Greece expressed fears about this while in Denmark and the Netherlands the percentages dropped to 49 percent and 40 percent, respectively.
The risk of errors made by AI is also a major concern, especially in healthcare. However,perceptions change significantly after its implementation, even in the face of positive results: in industry, productivity with AI increased by 35.5 percent, and in healthcare, errors were reduced by up to 80 percent. In addition, job satisfaction has increased by 20.6 percent. Distrust decreased significantly in both Northern and Southern Europe: in the Netherlands, fear of AI dropped to 22%, while in Denmark it dropped to 25%; on the Southern European front, in Portugal, fear dropped to 65%, in Spain to 58%, and in Greece to 60%.