Vital Signs with Jacob Effron and Nikhil Krishnan

Ep 62: Merck KGaA Chief Data and AI Officer on Scaling AI in Pharma and The Future of Enterprise Software

15 snips
Sep 29, 2025
Walid Mehanna, Chief Data and AI Officer at Merck KGaA, shares insights on scaling AI in the pharmaceutical industry. He emphasizes the importance of a federated approach to AI adoption, focusing on people, processes, and technology. Discussion points include leveraging their internal MyGPT tool for broad AI literacy, overcoming regulatory challenges, and making practical build versus buy decisions. Walid highlights the critical role of AI in drug discovery and the collaboration with startups, emphasizing that AI should enhance human expertise, not replace it.
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ANECDOTE

MyGPT Adoption And Evolution

  • Merck built an internal ChatGPT-like tool called MyGPT and reached 25,000 regular users out of 62,000 employees.
  • They later replaced their first build with a partnership after launching an improved offering.
ADVICE

Embed Human Accountability

  • Train users to remain accountable and never accept outputs blindly.
  • Embed responsibility, training, and reminders into interfaces and workflows.
INSIGHT

Federated Hub-And-Spoke Model

  • Merck uses a federated 'hub-and-spoke' model so local teams act fast while a global team orchestrates scale.
  • This balances global standardization with proximity to customers and patients.
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