2026 Might be the year life sciences goes preventive and AI-powered

AI will remain core to R&D

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a buzzword. It’s a backbone of research and development and will continue to reshape timelines and improve success rates in drug discovery and clinical trials.

But as Jay Desai recently highlighted in his piece “In 2026, Data Quality Will Define AI’s Impact in Pharma ” the real challenge isn’t the technology, it’s the data. Old datasets are often incomplete and biased, which means companies must prioritise fixing data foundations before chasing AI… and those that do will lead the pack.

At the same time, the EU AI Act is set to introduce stricter compliance requirements, particularly around high-risk applications in healthcare. This raises critical questions about patient data security and ethical AI use and these are issues that will demand proactive governance from industry leaders.

The role of AI in prevention

The explosion of personal health data through wearables, genomics, and digital health platforms will shift the focus from treatment to prevention. Predictive analytics and personalised interventions will help reduce disease incidence, creating new opportunities for pharma and health tech collaborations.

There will be regulatory friction around AI and ESG

Innovation is moving fast, but regulation isn’t keeping pace. We can expect growing frustration as overly complex rules around AI usage and ESG compliance slow progress. This tension will spark political debate on how to balance safety, ethics, and global competitiveness. On that, the U.S. will continue its tough stance on overseas pharmaceutical competition, reinforcing domestic manufacturing and tightening scrutiny on foreign entrants. This could continue to reshape global supply chains and pricing strategies, with ripple effects across international markets.