AI and Pharmacy: A Boon for Knowledge Workers?
Key takeaways from Kiplinger's 2024 report on AI's impact, with a focus on pharmacy.
The Dec. 18, 2024, issue of The Kiplinger Letter was devoted entirely to artificial intelligence (AI). I thought I would touch on a few points made.
The next decade of computing will be dominated by AI. This will affect everything from drug discovery to military strategy, and will boost productivity, automate work, and disrupt industries.
Astronomical tech spending is laying the foundation for the coming AI age. Tech giants’ capital expenditures have exploded since the launch of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI chatbot, in 2022, and heated competition will push spending higher.
Generative AI stems from huge amounts of data and computing power, using the brute force of GPUs (graphics processing units) on a mountain of internet and other data. The AI systems are known as large language models that learn patterns in language to predict the next word, enabling remarkably complex and humanlike responses. Flaws, such as errors and unreliability, are still common. But expect steady improvements.
AI data centers are huge energy hogs, so expect soaring electricity demand. Data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030.
The tech is quickly being embedded in everyday apps and services, including Microsoft 365’s suite of word processing and other apps, web browsers, and mobile operating systems from Apple and Android. The tools can write emails, summarize documents, edit photos, create presentations, answer questions, etc.
AI will become a powerful tool for knowledge workers. Widely available tools can already transcribe virtual meetings, analyze company data, find cyber threats, research new markets, and more.
All of this is a remarkable breakthrough on the use of computer power. The question is, how will pharmacy benefit? Pharmacists fit the definition of “knowledge workers.” I see the use of AI as providing better feedback to pharmacists on drug safety issues. I also see it helping to do a better job in managing the data in the pharmacy systems. Inventory management is an example.
Pharmacy has benefited from the use of computers over the years. AI provides the next big thing to help bring a new level of efficiency in the management of a pharmacy. You will see this happen as system vendors bring to market applications that are AI based. This will add considerable value to pharmacy management systems
2025 will be an interesting year in seeing how the field of AI progresses. PTMR
