The Effective Statistician - in association with PSI The Evolving Role of Generative AI in Pharma
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Jan 20, 2026 In a captivating discussion, Manuel Cossio, Director Global AI at Cytel, shares his transition from molecular biology to AI in pharma. He reveals how generative AI can automate repetitive tasks, significantly reducing burnout and freeing up valuable human effort. Manuel addresses real-world applications like clinical report generation, while also unpacking the challenges of data protection and model governance. He emphasizes the importance of safe AI use and dives into ideal use cases, offering actionable advice for successful implementation.
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From Biologist To Hands-On AI Engineer
- Manuel Cossio describes switching from molecular biology to intensive AI training, studying 15 hours a day and coding foundational algorithms from scratch.
- He built his skills by implementing algorithms manually to understand mathematical foundations before using high-level packages.
Best Fit: Repetitive, Structured Document Tasks
- Generative AI excels where identical inputs produce identical structured outputs in repetitive document tasks.
- Clinical reports and template-driven documents are prime use cases because models can learn and reproduce consistent formats.
Actively Prevent Hallucinations And Data Leakage
- Mitigate hallucinations by defining, understanding, and tailoring safeguards per use case rather than assuming models are always correct.
- Implement strong data governance and control where models are hosted and whether inputs become training data.
