Agentic AI Growth Predicted, but More Than Half of Pharma Still Resisting Change: Report

New survey data released jointly by The Pistoia Alliance, a global nonprofit that focuses on engendering better collaboration in life sciences R&D, and the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), suggests that agentic—something that is able to independently achieve outcomes, functioning like an agent—artificial intelligence (AI) is identified by pharmaceutical industry leaders as the technology that will have the most significant impact on the field in the next two to three years (1).

That opinion, presented at the Pistoia Alliance’s annual European conference held in London on March 26, 2025, reflects the work of those involved in the group’s just-completed large language model project, as well as speakers at the conference from the United Kingdom Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Amino Data (1).

However, more than half (51%) of those surveyed in the data collected and released by the Pistoia Alliance said that resistance to change with regard to AI is the biggest barrier to innovation, with lack of skills a distant second (17%) (1). Nearly four in 10 respondents (39%) said that AI models producing incorrect answers is the biggest concern about the technology, with reputational risk cited by 37% as a reason why companies might not want to build, choose, or use AI technologies.

“The poll confirms what many of our members are experiencing—that progress depends on people, culture, and skills, not just technology,” Becky Upton, PhD, Pistoia Alliance president, said in a press release (1). “The goal of digital transformation is to accelerate the development of better treatments and improve patient outcomes. That means we must empower the people behind the science—from researchers to C-suite leaders—with the right skills and mindset to embrace innovation. The Alliance is uniquely placed to lead this effort, connecting individuals and uniting organizations across pharma, technology, and regulation.”

Upton previously provided context for those comments in an interview with Pharmaceutical Technology® Group’s sister brand Pharmaceutical Executive® in October 2024 (2).

“To successfully harness AI in the pharmaceutical industry, vision and leadership from the top are essential,” Upton said at the time. “Leadership must understand that AI thrives on well-structured, high-quality data. Without proper data organization and governance, AI models cannot deliver accurate insights or drive innovation. For AI to be effective, data must be structured, standardized, and interoperable across systems. This requires a strategic commitment to robust data management, ensuring that data are not only accessible but also curated for AI readiness. In addition, leaders should foster a culture that values cross-functional collaboration and data sharing, while supporting investments in advanced infrastructure and training to realize AI’s full potential.”

The full Pharmaceutical Executive Q&A with Upton can be found at this link.

“Companies know that increased AI regulation is on the horizon—in fact, 59% of our respondents expect increased government regulation in the next five years,” comments Neal Dunkinson, senior director of Solution Sales at CCC, in the Pistoia Alliance press release (1). “Now is the time to embed rigorous AI risk assessments into everyday practice. Events [such as] the Alliance’s conference are key for bridging the gap between pharma and regulators, helping the industry align on shared frameworks that support trustworthy and responsible AI use. By laying these foundations today, organizations can both stay ahead of evolving regulation and safely unlock AI’s potential.”

At INTERPHEX 2025, held from April 1–3, 2025 in New York City, Pharmaceutical Technology® Group interviewed Peter Sarvey, head of Sales for Automation NTH, about the increasing use of AI on the inspection side of manufacturing.

“There are a lot of inspections that previously were done manually, because it's not a simple pattern match for if this medical device or this pharmaceutical component is a reject,” Sarvey said in the interview (3). “Now we can teach the AI what a good part looks like, what a bad part looks like, and then over time, shift that area too, all in the nature of increasing throughput and decreasing yield loss.”

Click here for the full video interview with Peter Sarvey at INTERPHEX.

References

1. The Pistoia Alliance. Life Science Professionals say Agentic AI to Have Most Impact in Next 2-3 Years, but 51% Cite Resistance to Change as Biggest Barrier to Innovation. Press Release. April 3, 2025.
2. Hollan, M. Security and Data Sharing: Q&A with The Pistoia’s Alliance’s Dr. Becky Upton. PharmExec.com, Oct. 30, 2024.
3. Lavery, P. and Haigney, S. INTERPHEX 2025: AI and Automation in Pharma. PharmTech.com, April 2, 2025.