Medical writers, AI can’t yet replace you. But, what’s the path forward?
It can seem daunting. To witness an up and coming AI platform like ChatGPT or AuthorONE draft in minutes that state-of-the-art section or introductory background that would have taken you several hours. Or to witness IBM Watson extract the key pieces of data from the clinical literature sources before you have time to open the PDFs.
Welcome to the new era of medical writing.
Just as keyboard and email replaced pencil and envelope, so will various AI platforms replace the more tedious tasks of medical writing.
AI is here to stay, and we as writers must evolve with it.
Currently, a plethora of software exists on the market for automating the generation and quality control of clinical documents. But if we look closely, although much of these programs currently optimize the time it takes to perform the more tedious parts of the writing process, they’re unable to perform the rigorous critical thinking necessary to identify all the elements of a sound and rigorous compliance submission.
That’s where you come in. As a medical writer in the 21st century, you must know your value in this ever changing landscape.
AI is merely a tool, and not a competitor. Once we begin to view it from an abundance standpoint, we are upleveled to a higher level of consciousness in writing.
Check out the diagram below. On the left are the skills that only you as a multi-dimensional, deliberating intellectual can offer. On the right are the areas where AI can make your job easier.
Links to AI Resources: Iris.ai , Semantic Scholar, ADDM Trend, IBM Watson , Linguamatics , SAS Analytics, Microsoft Azure, Grammarly , ProWritingAid, DragonNaturallySpeaking, Stepes
Overall, the use of AI can help regulatory medical writers to work more efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving the quality of regulatory submissions and helping to accelerate the development of new medical treatments and therapies.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve decided to update my resume to highlight my AI skillset. During my next medical writing job interview, I plan to impress employers by showing them my proficiency in using Chartfiy for the generation of complex table and figures, filling in of templates. How I utilize HyperWrite for summarizing a conclusions section based on the safety & performance data analysis.
Developing proficiencies in AI platforms should be a continual part of our professional development.
So, if nothing else, I hope you feel empowered as a medical writer after this read. Not to mention, AI-based platforms are still in their earliest stages of inception. Not all manufacturers and biopharmaceutical companies have the bandwidth, funds and even baseline trust for these services.
I desire that none of us writers get left behind in fear.
Let’s take the industry by storm.
