The 2026 AI Power Shift: Biotech Moves From Pilot to Platform

TL;DR

The biotech industry has entered a builder phase where AI is becoming the default part of R&D. Half of AI adopters report faster time-to-target, and protein structure prediction is used by 73% of leaders. Drug discovery timelines are compressing dramatically.

Key Takeaways

• 1Half of biotech AI adopters report faster time-to-target in drug discovery
• 2Protein structure prediction used by 73% of industry leaders
• 3Organizations with high AI adoption are nearly 2x more likely to have strong wet-dry lab integration
• 467% of AI talent comes from upskilling existing scientists rather than hiring from tech
• 5AI is reshaping drug development from isolated tools to fully integrated discovery systems