CES 2024, themed "AI in Everything," has spurred diverse industries to explore cross-disciplinary integration. One of the sectors that has exemplified this trend is the AI medical sector.
Notably, pharmaceutical tech giant Moderna has reaped the most benefits of the AI era. Moderna accelerated the development of its COVID-19 vaccine within a mere 42 days by leveraging AI, making a name for themselves alongside century-old pharmaceutical companies. Brad Miller, Moderna's Chief Information Officer (CIO), emphasized the fusion of generative AI with the medical industry at CES, underscoring the critical role of AI in pioneering a new era of groundbreaking drugs. He noted that AI's potential to overturn traditional work modes could stimulate the development of novel approaches.
Moderna's breakthrough: how AI revolutionized drug and vaccine development
Reflecting on the vaccine development experience, Miller acknowledged significant shifts in recent years. While vaccines previously underwent multiple stages of laboratory testing, clinical trials, scientific assessment, and authorization before entering the market, AI has streamlined most processes, making them more efficient, cost-effective, and adaptable to emerging health challenges worldwide.
AI's transformative impact on healthcare extends to new drug development and clinical trials. Moderna utilizes AI to synthesize vast data sets and generate code through data analysis, saving time and minimizing errors in data extraction. This yields clear, reliable, and well-structured reports on immunogenicity and toxicity, fostering regulatory communication and coordination to expedite decision-making for patient care.
Moderna's presence at CES 2024 piqued curiosity about why a medical company would attend an electronic show. Miller explained despite perceptions of being a healthcare company, Moderna operates more as a digital IT company. Moderna has employed AI, data, and digital capabilities since its inception, with its value exemplified in developing the COVID-19 vaccine, the CIO adds.
Miller also anticipates a consumer-centric shift in personalized healthcare. Moderna continues to innovate as a tech healthcare provider by integrating the popular generative AI technology. He revealed that Moderna has internally established "M Chat," significantly altering existing workflows. Moderna centralizes data to obtain information in drug development, clinical research, manufacturing processes, regulatory affairs, or commercialization phases.
Miller believes that while people initially perceive generative AI as a search engine, its true essence lies as a conversational engine. It enables individuals to rethink concepts and initiate paradigm shifts. Currently, over 70% of Moderna employees are using M Chat internally.
