Aligning AI Fundamentals with User Experience in Pharma

In this episode, Alicia Abella, AI Product Lead at Novo Nordisk, discusses how she is helping drive responsible AI adoption in the pharmaceutical industry. She shares her early experiences in AI, starting with her PhD research at Columbia University on image processing and natural language processing. 

At Novo Nordisk, the current focus is on applying AI to commercialization functions including – marketing, legal, and HR – beyond its traditional use in drug discovery. Alicia highlights key use cases such as generative AI for knowledge search, content generation for marketing campaigns, and traditional AI techniques for deriving insights about healthcare providers. She also emphasizes the importance of applying a product mindset to AI development by evaluating user needs, business value, and compliance from the outset.

Alicia notes that adding effective governance can help innovation move in the right direction. She also talks about an internal AI Ambassador Program and emphasizes the importance of designing intuitive AI tools to increase adoption. She concludes by discussing future trends in AI, including contextual intelligence, user-centric design, and the opportunity for AI to enhance, rather than replace human decision-making. Take a listen.