In a strategic move to accelerate the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery, Elsevier has announced a commitment to support the Pistoia Alliance, a global non-profit organization promoting collaboration in life sciences. This partnership seeks to address core challenges in AI adoption within the pharmaceutical and research sectors, including the need for trusted data, transparency in AI applications, and effective regulatory alignment.
Through a series of workshops, webinars, and conferences, Elsevier will share its expertise with Pistoia’s 200+ member organizations, which include major pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, healthcare providers, research institutions, and regulatory bodies. A leader in information and analytics, Elsevier aims to equip these organizations with the tools needed to implement AI solutions in a safe and ethical manner.
The initiative comes on the heels of Elsevier’s recent Attitudes to AI report, which highlighted both the enthusiasm and concerns among researchers regarding AI tools. Key issues raised included risks of misinformation, errors, and loss of critical oversight. Findings from the Pistoia Alliance’s Lab of the Future Report echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for educational resources, particularly in AI-specific training. SciBite, an Elsevier subsidiary, has developed ontologies training, a key area of demand among researchers, to help make scientific data more structured and accessible for AI.
Elsevier has identified five critical focus areas for advancing AI in drug discovery:
• Securing Trustworthy Data – Building robust data sources to drive accurate and effective research outcomes.
• Structuring Data for Insight – Applying FAIR data principles and ontologies to convert complex scientific data into accessible, structured knowledge.
• Transparent AI – Implementing AI architectures like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance transparency and retain human oversight.
• Unified Governance – Ensuring alignment between research professionals and legislators to navigate evolving AI regulations, such as the EU AI Act.
• Bridging the Skills Gap – Addressing skill shortages by combining scientific expertise with advanced data science and tech training.
The collaboration will include several upcoming events:
• Nov 4 – Webinar: Rapid Biomedical Insight Discovery with AI, featuring Ivana Kotevic, VP Product for Corporate Life Sciences, and Guy Kingham, Senior Director, Strategy, Elsevier Life Sciences.
• Nov 12 – Workshop: Democratizing Data in Life Sciences: The Role of LLMs, with SciBite and Elsevier representatives.
• Nov 12 – Keynote at the Pistoia Alliance Annual Conference, Philadelphia: AI in Drug Discovery, presented by Mirit Eldor, Managing Director, Life Sciences Solutions.
• Nov 13 – Presentation on Evolution and Evaluation of Scientific Search and Discovery by Mark Sheehan, VP, Data Science, Life Sciences Solutions, at the Pistoia Alliance Annual Conference.
• Nov 21 – Webinar: Assisting Ontology Development with LLMs, led by Simon Jupp, Head of Semantic Technology, SciBite.
Click here to read the original press release.
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