This week at the Age of AI Europe conference in London, Jon Buckley, Director of Experience, and Heidi Bell, Group Growth Director, from Inizio Evoke Europe, joined other industry leaders from Google Health, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Grünenthal, the NHS, and more to explore the evolving role of Generative AI in healthcare.
The shift is undeniable. Just 18 months ago, at another AI event, only a handful of pharma professionals raised their hands when asked if they had used ChatGPT. This time? The entire room answered ‘yes’. AI in pharma has moved from an experimental curiosity to an essential tool, reshaping how we engage with patients, accelerate research, and deliver better health outcomes.
5 key takeaways from the event:
From AI fear to AI is here.
The pace of AI adoption in healthcare is accelerating. AI is already scaling health delivery, advancing life sciences R&D, and increasing patient centricity. But the biggest question of the day? Can AI be both powerful and ethical in health? The answer: Yes—but only with human oversight. Ensuring the right risk mitigation and governance processes are in place is critical to responsible AI adoption.
AI adoption vs. AI fluency.
Building AI tools is one thing—ensuring they are used effectively is another. Even the most sophisticated AI solutions are meaningless if teams aren’t equipped to integrate them into their workflows. AI adoption requires champions—people who are willing to experiment, advocate, and drive real change. The key takeaway? Progress over perfection. AI doesn’t need to be flawless to be transformational—but it can’t make an impact if your team isn’t empowered to use it.
MLR Bottleneck: AI to the rescue?
Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) teams are often overwhelmed by process-heavy workloads, leaving less time for quality control and innovation. AI has the potential to streamline workflows—automating claims analysis, generating reports, and supporting collaborative authoring—ultimately helping new treatments reach patients faster. However, while AI can optimize processes, it can’t rewrite legislation. (At least, not yet.)
Patient centricity redefined.
AI’s ability to translate complex science into plain language is a game-changer for health literacy. But as an industry, we need to rethink how we measure success. Vanity metrics aren’t enough—we must focus on the full HCP and patient experience, ensuring that AI-driven innovations lead to real, measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
AI Agents: Here to help… or replace us?
General Intelligence is on the horizon. Multi-modal AI is next. One speaker warned: “In five years, AI will replace 10 of us with 1 of us.” Others, including a practicing GP, had a more optimistic view—AI has the potential to reduce burnout, giving doctors more time with patients. But one thing was clear: in healthcare and life sciences, AI should empower—not replace—the human touch.
What’s next?
AI is evolving faster than our regulatory frameworks—but its benefits are undeniable. To stay ahead, businesses must act now to integrate AI into their strategies, upskill their teams, and navigate the ethical and operational complexities that come with it.
At Inizio Evoke, we’re committed to helping healthcare organizations harness the power of AI to drive real impact. Connect with us to learn more.