Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has joined the trend of pharmaceutical companies announcing the construction of large AI supercomputers, marking a significant step in leveraging advanced computational power for drug development.
In a recent announcement, BMS revealed its plans to build what it claims will be the largest AI supercomputer in the life sciences sector. This follows similar declarations from other pharma companies within the past nine months. Initially, BMS partnered with NVIDIA three years ago to create a smaller computing cluster aimed at tackling more straightforward problems, such as predicting protein structures. However, as the demand for computational resources grew, the company found itself needing additional power to explore more complex AI applications.
Greg Meyers, BMS's chief digital and technology officer, emphasized the importance of these advanced computational models, particularly in understanding the interactions of drug candidates with the human body and diseases. He highlighted oncology and neurodegeneration as key focus areas where these AI-driven insights could lead to significant advancements in treatment strategies.
This move by BMS reflects a broader industry trend where pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in AI technologies to enhance their research capabilities. As the competition intensifies, the ability to harness large-scale AI supercomputing could become a crucial differentiator in the drug discovery process.