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Exploring the ethical issues posed by AI and big data technologies in drug development.

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Title: Exploring the ethical issues posed by AI and big data technologies in drug development.
Authors: Fan Y; College of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science, Shanghai, China.; Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences' Active Health for Everyone Science Popularization and Collaborative Governance Platform, Shanghai, China.; Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, The Center of Policy Research and Safety Evaluation for Medical Devices, Shanghai, China., Wu Y; College of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science, Shanghai, China., Wang Z; School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.; Digital and Intelligent Empowerment Biomedical Innovation Center, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Source: Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2025 Oct 20; Vol. 13, pp. 1585180. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Oct 20 (Print Publication: 2025).
Publication Type: Journal Article; Review
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Frontiers Editorial Office Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101616579 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2296-2565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22962565 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Lausanne : Frontiers Editorial Office
MeSH Terms: Big Data* , Artificial Intelligence*/ethics , Drug Development*/ethics , Drug Discovery*/ethics, Humans
Abstract: Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
The rapid development and wide application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data technologies have profoundly changed the way industries around the world operate, from finance, transportation, education to media, the integration of the two not only improves the efficiency of the industry, but also optimizes the quality of service and decision-making process to a large extent. In the era of deep integration of Biomedicine and AI, AI and Big Data technology are reconstructing the paradigm of drug development with unprecedented intensity. The long cycle of traditional drug development, which takes a decade and billions of dollars in investment, is being compressed to 2 years or even less under the drive of AI. Through big data analytics and deep learning techniques, AI can greatly improve R&D efficiency and accuracy in a variety of aspects such as compound screening, efficacy prediction, and clinical (pre) experiment design. However, the use of AI and big data in drug discovery and development also raises corresponding ethical issues, such as data privacy protection and algorithmic transparency. This article will systematically analyze the technological breakthroughs, potential risks, and governance paths of AI and big data in drug development. It will explore how to strengthen the bottom-line of safety and ethics in the Efficiency Revolution and build a responsible innovation ecosystem.
(Copyright © 2025 Fan, Wu and Wang.)
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: artificial intelligence; big data; drug development; ethical issues; responsible innovation
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20251105 Date Completed: 20251105 Latest Revision: 20251107
Update Code: 20251107
PubMed Central ID: PMC12581208
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1585180
PMID: 41189967
Database: MEDLINE
Description
Abstract:Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.<br />The rapid development and wide application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data technologies have profoundly changed the way industries around the world operate, from finance, transportation, education to media, the integration of the two not only improves the efficiency of the industry, but also optimizes the quality of service and decision-making process to a large extent. In the era of deep integration of Biomedicine and AI, AI and Big Data technology are reconstructing the paradigm of drug development with unprecedented intensity. The long cycle of traditional drug development, which takes a decade and billions of dollars in investment, is being compressed to 2 years or even less under the drive of AI. Through big data analytics and deep learning techniques, AI can greatly improve R&D efficiency and accuracy in a variety of aspects such as compound screening, efficacy prediction, and clinical (pre) experiment design. However, the use of AI and big data in drug discovery and development also raises corresponding ethical issues, such as data privacy protection and algorithmic transparency. This article will systematically analyze the technological breakthroughs, potential risks, and governance paths of AI and big data in drug development. It will explore how to strengthen the bottom-line of safety and ethics in the Efficiency Revolution and build a responsible innovation ecosystem.<br /> (Copyright © 2025 Fan, Wu and Wang.)
ISSN:2296-2565
DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1585180