The Promise of AI and What’s Holding It Back
Let’s be clear, the life sciences industry is moving fast! And for learning and development teams, the pace of change can be hard to keep up with. AI is already playing a major role by helping teams accelerate drug discovery, personalise treatments, and even predict trial outcomes with startling accuracy. The numbers are impressive too! McKinsey estimates that generative AI could create between $60 to $110 billion in annual value for pharma and medical products companies.
And yet, with all this, something is missing.
Despite the breakthroughs, many organisations still struggle to get real returns from their AI investments. Why? Because the real differentiator isn’t the algorithm, it’s the people. The human beings who interpret the insights, make the decisions, and lead the transformation.
HR and Learning and Development professionals in the life sciences industries will know this all too well. The technology is evolving faster than the workforce can keep up. And unless we equip people with the right skills, not just technical, but deeply human, we risk leaving a lot of potential on the table.
The Skills That Make the Difference
The future of learning and development in life sciences isn’t just about teaching people how to use AI. It’s about helping them to thrive alongside it.
Let’s break it down.
Leadership That Inspires Confidence
Talk of AI can often trigger a level of anxiety, with individuals questioning – will it replace me? Will I understand it? Good leadership helps cut through that noise. But not every leader is naturally equipped to lead through digital change.
This is where L&D comes in. We need to support leaders in becoming better communicators, better coaches, and better at creating a vision that people can believe in. If leadership doesn’t buy in, or worse, sends mixed messages, AI adoption will stall.
Collaboration Across Functions
AI is changing the makeup of teams in life sciences. Data scientists are working with lab technicians, IT is embedded in commercial strategy, and global teams must align across disciplines. It’s no longer about handoffs, it’s about co-creating in real time.
This approach requires more than meetings, it takes active listening, translating complex ideas, and building trust across functions. These human skills are critical to making AI work in practice. Leading organisations are now prioritising collaboration-focussed learning, ensuring teams not only have the tools, but the behaviours to innovate and problem-solve together.
Digital Confidence for Everyone
Here’s a stat that should make us pause, BCG found that 86% of employees believe they’ll need AI training, but only 14% have received any.
This is a huge gap.
We’re not talking about turning every employee into an AI expert. We’re talking about building a level of AI literacy where people feel comfortable using new tools, asking smart questions, and understanding the basics. When that confidence clicks, resistance will drop and innovation will pick up.
Clear Human Communication
We can’t ignore the role of communication. With AI feeding us more data than ever, the real challenge is to translate it into action.
People need to know how to tell the story behind the data. For example, how to explain AI decisions to stakeholders, or how to listen to concerns without shutting down the conversation. These are soft skills, yes, but they have hard business value.
How L&D is Stepping Up
The best part of all this? L&D teams are already rising to meet the moment. Across life sciences, we’re seeing a shift in how companies approach learning, not just as a one off event, but as a continuous journey.
AI in Learning and Development
Many organisations are using AI in learning and development to enhance delivery through adaptive learning, personalised content and virtual coaching. When done well, it makes learning more relevant and accessible.
But even AI-powered L&D still relies on humans to understand the organisation, shape the strategy, design the experience, and make sure it lands.
Building Internal AI Academies
Some life sciences companies are launching their own AI academies. Think multi-level, role-specific learning paths, from AI basics for the whole workforce to deep dives for technical teams.
It’s a bold move, and it works! It sends a powerful message, we believe in our people, and we’re investing in their future.
Not Forgetting the Human Touch
At the same time, there’s a renewed focus on what makes us human. Empathy, creativity, integrity. These are the things AI can’t replicate. These are the things that will become an organisations biggest competitive advantage.
In short, L&D is not just enabling transformation, it’s making sure we don’t lose our biggest differentiator along the way.
A Real-World Example: Thermo Fisher Scientific
When Thermo Fisher Scientific set out to engage more than 45,000 employees in a bold new learning and development initiative, they didn’t just focus on delivery. They focussed on experience.
In partnership with Tack TMI, they built Making Quality Personal, a blended learning programme that struck the right balance between digital reach and human connection. It wasn’t just about scale. It was about making quality feel personal, relevant, and actionable for all employees.
The result? A flexible, global rollout that combined live virtual sessions with interactive modules, all anchored in real-world impact. People weren’t just completing training, they were embracing a mindset. Language from the programme became part of everyday conversations. Quality, innovation, and leadership started showing up in how people worked, not just what they knew.
That is how you reach over 45,000 people and still make it feel like learning is personalised for them. That’s what happens when learning is both scalable and human. You can read the full case study here.
So, What’s Next For Learning and Development in Life Sciences
AI isn’t going anywhere. Use of AI will continue to accelerate and become the norm in our lives. But in life sciences – from pharma to biotech – where precision, trust and ethics are non-negotiable, technology alone will never be enough. Upskilling and reskilling the workforce must remain a top priority.
And why learning and development in life sciences must continue to focus on what really drives performance: human capability.
At Tack TMI, we believe that the best outcomes happen when organisations invest in both. In smart tools and smart people. In digital fluency and emotional intelligence. In data and trust.
Because yes, AI can do a lot. But it’s the humans, curious, connected, and compassionate, who bring it to life.
