AI Biotech Labor Gap

What happened

At Web Summit Qatar, AI-powered biotech startups detailed how automation, data, and gene editing are now being applied to fill existing labour gaps within drug discovery and the treatment of rare diseases. This introduces new capabilities for addressing workforce limitations in these critical areas, altering the traditional reliance on human labour for specific research and development processes.

Why it matters

The increased reliance on AI, automation, data, and gene editing for drug discovery and rare disease treatment introduces new operational dependencies for Research and Development and Quality Assurance teams. This shift raises the oversight burden for ensuring data integrity and algorithmic transparency, potentially weakening traditional human-centric validation controls. Compliance and IT security functions face increased exposure to novel risks associated with AI system vulnerabilities and data management practices.