Medical Affairs Is More AI-Active Than AI-Ready

Published 10 August 2026

Author(s): Patrina Pellett & Sarah Snyder 

What 53+ Medical Affairs AI programs reveal about adoption, team capability, and what leaders should do next.

“I don’t have Copilot on my computer.”

This was at one of our first in-person AI trainings in March 2025. The range in comfort with AI was impossible to miss. At the same time, another MSL had used Copilot to build out the entire Med Info department and was saving hours. They were already thinking several steps ahead.

The MSLs that didn't think they had Copilot on their computer did. They just didn't know where to find it. Same company. Same training. Completely different starting points and AI comfort levels.

In summer of 2025, we got serious about showing impact of our AI training programs and started rigorously measuring each training session and program. After delivering over 53 AI trainings to 265 Medical Affairs professionals across 10 pharma and biotech companies, we a broad range of comfort levels with AI. From power users to folks terrified to use it.

AI use is growing fast among Medical Affairs teams, but that doesn't mean they are AI-ready.