AI’s use in drug discovery is beginning to gain momentum, as seen by the number of large pharmas are already working with smaller AI-based biotechs . Though the term “AI” can carry certain mixed perceptions, scientists within pharma and biotech are starting to realize that AI is poised to make the human element more effective.

What many of these pharma companies have realized is that AI is not a replacement for human expertise and experience but an accelerator of ideas. What machine learning and AI bring to the lab is the ability to process data in more efficient ways, leaving the human expert to focus on other more highly specialized projects, tasks and research. In the context of drug discovery, AI is a tool, that if implemented strategically by a research scientist in can potentially lead to the next great discovery.

As a more practical example, companies like Reveal Biosciences are already helping researchers complete routine tasks more efficiently. For instance, pathologists and researchers using Reveal’s services can use AI to quickly and accurately quantify specific cell types in diseased tissue, allowing them access to big data in a way that was not possible before. Reveal Biosciences supports drug discovery by combining traditional histopathology with AI to transform tissue biology into usable data.

For more information on Reveal Biosciences , watch this video and visit their storefront on the Scientist.com marketplace.