The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword, promising to revolutionize industries and enhance productivity. However, a common pitfall for many companies is a top-down approach to technology implementation, which can include entering into partnerships with AI companies without first addressing the critical need for a robust infrastructure. In this article, we explore the importance of prioritizing infrastructure development as part of AI integration.
The Appeal of AI
Artificial Intelligence holds immense promise in transforming businesses. From optimizing operations to enhancing customer experiences, AI-driven solutions can deliver impressive results. It’s no wonder that companies are eager to harness its power. The allure of AI, with its potential for automation, data-driven insights, and cost savings, is also promising for the highly regulated pharma industry.
While AI is undoubtedly exciting, it’s essential to remember that to be effective, AI relies on a strong foundation: infrastructure. Infrastructure encompasses underlying technology, data storage, and network capabilities. Unfortunately, infrastructure development is often seen as less glamorous than AI itself, which can lead to its neglect.
Why Infrastructure Matters for AI Solutions
Stability and Reliability
An AI system is only as reliable as the infrastructure supporting it. Without a robust foundation, businesses risk downtime, system failures, and disruptions that can harm productivity and customer trust.
Scalability
As a company grows, its data and computational needs grow accordingly. A well-established infrastructure allows for seamless scalability, accommodating the increased demands of AI applications.
Data Management
AI thrives on large data quantities. Properly structured and managed data is crucial for AI algorithms to provide meaningful insights. Neglecting infrastructure can lead to data silos and poor data quality.
Cybersecurity
The more reliant a company is on technology, the more attractive it becomes to cybercriminals. Neglecting infrastructure security can expose sensitive data and lead to significant breaches.
Cost Efficiency
While infrastructure development may seem costly, it can save money in the long run by minimizing expensive AI project failures and disruptions.
The Bottom-Up Approach
To address these issues, businesses should consider a “bottom-up” approach to technology adoption. Before developing new AI solutions, start by building a solid infrastructure foundation. Here are some steps to consider:
Infrastructure Assessment
Begin by evaluating the current state of your technology infrastructure. Identify weaknesses and areas for improvement.
Strategic Planning
Develop a comprehensive technology strategy that aligns with your business goals. This strategy should outline how AI fits into your broader technology ecosystem.
Invest in Infrastructure
Allocate resources and budgets for infrastructure development. This includes upgrading hardware, implementing robust data management systems, and enhancing cybersecurity measures.
Talent Acquisition
Hire or upskill IT professionals who can manage and maintain your infrastructure effectively.
Collaboration
Collaborate with AI companies when your infrastructure is ready. This ensures a smoother integration process and maximizes the benefits of AI.
How Beaconcure Approaches AI Infrastructure
Beaconcure manages and maintains all of the infrastructure required to support Verify’s AI-enabled study validation platform. This includes leveraging secure AWS Cloud infrastructure and designing cost-effective mechanisms to scale infrastructure as data grows. In this way, Verify enables statistical departments at pharmaceutical companies and CROs to safely adopt new AI technologies with robust supporting infrastructure, such as using Verify to convert static data to machine readable format and to access a dynamic database with metadata plus all relevant content. In addition, sponsors and CROs can use the Verify API to integrate and connect internal systems to the Verify database and underlying infrastructure.
In the rush to embrace cutting-edge technologies like AI, it can be easy to overlook the critical importance of infrastructure. However, a strong foundation is essential for the successful implementation and operation of AI systems. By partnering with companies like Beaconcure that prioritize infrastructure and adopt a bottom-up approach, you can increase stability, reliability, and scalability, and ultimately reap the full benefits of AI while mitigating risks and challenges along the way. Infrastructure may not be as exciting as AI, but it’s the groundwork upon which a technologically advanced future is built.
