In a 2024 study conducted by GlobalData, 76% of surveyed pharmaceutical industry professionals believed that recent advancements in AI and automation are set to have a high or very high impact on improving R&D productivity in the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting the positive impact that these technologies could bring.[i]

When asked by what percentage respondents expect AI-based tools and platforms to increase R&D productivity, the most popular answer was 11-20%. According to GlobalData’s report cited above, the results reflect a positive outlook towards AI and suggest willingness to embrace future AI developments.

However, a recent fireside chat of industry specialists has advised that integration of such tools in the clinical trial environment should be gradual and approached with caution. Ultimately, a key theme of the session was that AI is “not a silver bullet”, as webinar host John Kennett puts it, but more “an enhancement to the way we’re currently working”.

The webinar brought together specialists from Fortrea, a leading global contract research organisation (CRO), and FutureMeds, a provider of patient-centric trial delivery with 27 research sites across Europe.

The panel included:

  • Host: John Kennett, Global Marketing Director, Fortrea
  • Melissa Harris, Global Head of Patient Recruitment & Engagement and Modelling, Fortrea
  • Cameron Glen, Vice President, Global Business Development, FutureMeds

AI is already showing potential in patient recruitment and site selection

After introductions, John Kennett kicks off the discussion by asking the panel about the AI developments and applications they find most exciting in the world of patient recruitment and site selection.

While noting that the use of AI in clinical trials is still in its infancy, Melissa Harris references a range of examples, including the use of AI agents for sifting through vast quantities of electronic health record (EHR) data, for instance, or the potential to use technology such as wearables and behaviour science models to support the engagement and retention of participants in a personalised way. Later in the webinar, she provides a powerful example of how this was achieved in a study for rheumatoid arthritis, emphasising the ever-critical role of human oversight and intervention in AI success stories.

Cameron Glen adds to the discussion from a site perspective, noting that proprietary AI approaches are already improving the efficiency and even accuracy of FutureMeds’ feasibility screening efforts. The company is also using AI techniques within digital outreach, where bots help create the ideal patient profiles followed by personalised messaging tailored to each.

Another exciting area for Glen and the wider team at FutureMeds is the potential to achieve more powerful, real-time analysis of recruitment data. “We’re particularly excited about the role it can have in enrolment and the patterns it can identify across different regions,” he explains. “AI can identify unexpected recruitment areas that we didn’t know about, or it can reveal a disease trend that we weren’t aware of before. This allows us to have faster decision-making if the sponsor and CRO are in an adaptive protocol and may need to shift geographical focus through the study.”

Such technology could be particularly instrumental in a vaccine study, adds Harris, where epidemiology insights are critical. 

Human in the loop

But while AI’s potential is significant, everyone on the session is aware of the challenges, from regulatory hurdles and data privacy considerations to cultural implications, with attitudes to AI differing across the world. The panel spent a few minutes discussing these challenges, concluding that human oversight – and human empathy – must remain core. 

“We have to protect our patients and their data – that’s a given,” states Harris. “If you’re going to be implementing an AI bot or agent onto a set of EHRs, it has to be done correctly and with full consent and privacy policy in place, whether that be GDPR, HIPAA, or the site’s own environment. There’s a lot of steps to take before you can do this at scale.”

“At the end of the day, the person joining the trial is a human being, not an algorithm,” says Glen as the discussion shifts to ethical and cultural impacts. “So yes, we need AI, and I’m sure it will get bigger and better, but we still absolutely need a human in the loop. I don’t think that will ever go.”

Why recruitment plans and collaboration make all the difference

Before turning to the Q&A, the panel concludes with a detailed discussion on the importance of recruitment plans, better protocol design (with fewer amendments), and how sponsors, CROs, and sites can collaborate more effectively to drive improvements.

“Hope isn’t a strategy”, Harris quips as she stresses the imperative nature of proper pre-planning in clinical trials, including a strong understanding of what a site needs to run a study efficiently, what the patient population looks like, and, crucially, what will motivate them to say yes.

Glen agrees with her points wholeheartedly, adding: “If you’re just waiting for patients to show up, then you’re already behind.”

Collaborating with sites to evaluate upcoming protocols and “get it right from the get-go”, in Kennett’s words, is another crucial point for the panel. They discuss the many ramifications of protocol amendments both climate-wise and patient-wise, and Harris’s passion shines through as she says “we have to recruit once for patient and planet.”

Finally, Kennett, Harris, and Glen explore the possibilities to drive better collaborations between sponsors, CROs, and sites. From this perspective, sharing learnings and fostering transparent relationships among all stakeholders are key takeaways from the speakers.

Download below to watch the full discussion.

[i] GlobalData, The State of the Biopharmaceutical Industry 2025.