Unleashing the Potential of AI
How Bayer uses Artificial Intelligence to drive Breakthrough Innovation
Bayer is transforming health and nutrition by harnessing cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to catalyze faster product development and improve the way we manufacture and deliver products to our customers. With our mission “Health for all, hunger for none” always in mind, we are guiding our use of AI through a principled, purpose-led approach. To bring meaningful innovations to patients, farmers and consumers fast, we leverage AI as strategic tool to deliver unprecedented value.
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With its ability to improve the lives of millions, AI is a game-changer. It is a collaborative effort – made possible by the talent and dedication of teams across Bayer’s divisions and IT, as well as partnerships with leading technology companies and institutions. We have only begun to tap the transformative power of AI, and the best is yet to come.
Consumers are consistently seeking health solutions that go beyond traditional product formats. By harnessing AI, we empower them to make informed choices through a more precise understanding of their personalized needs. Precision health is a perfect complement to the trusted self-care solutions we have offered for decades, that will help billions of people live healthier lives, faster & better.
AI has an application anywhere there's a decision to be made. With the enormous amount of data that scientists and farmers are collecting, making smart decisions is becoming more complex – in the labs and fields. We can rethink agriculture, innovate, and apply new approaches. We simply require better tools, and AI offers exactly that.
The right data is critical to AI. Precise and effective insights and predictions can only be achieved with high-quality data that is accurate and complete. Bayer developed a group-wide data strategy that focuses on aspects such quality, integration, analytics, and security to ensure that our data assets are reliable, valuable, and secure, positioning us for responsible use of AI.
Data sciences and artificial intelligence are transforming the way we discover new medicines. These technologies are catalysts in our pursuit to find scientific solutions faster, more efficiently, and more creatively to support the patients we serve. The emerging impact of AI shows that we are entering a new era of life science innovation.
Our use of AI enables farmers to make data-driven decisions, resulting in increased productivity, reduced costs, and more sustainable farming practices.
With these technologies, Bayer is advising farmers on crucial decisions such as optimal planting and irrigation times. By predicting disease outbreaks and anticipating pest infestations, AI helps optimize pesticide use, reduce crop damage, and enhance sustainability. Additionally, Crop Science researchers leverage AI and data science to analyze genomic data, accelerating the breeding cycle from 5-6 years to ~4 months and cutting overall product development time by up to 2 years. It also significantly increases product performance, allowing us to double the rate of genetic gain by 2030. Greater resilience can result in higher yields and improved quality – sustainably feeding more and mitigating the burden on Earth’s resources.
AI is helping to bring much-needed treatments to patients with increasing speed and efficiency – making it a powerful tool in the fight against disease.
Hundreds of initiatives are underway to leverage AI in our quest to transform healthcare. Our data scientists are developing cutting-edge technologies to help us make better, more informed decisions faster in many areas of our business. In the immensely complex and time-consuming process of discovering new medicines, AI is revolutionizing the way potential compounds are being identified. To improve the clinical trial process, we’re using AI to plan and analyze clinical trials safely and efficiently. AI is also playing a critical role in medical coding, automating the tedious process of translating of physician-collected data into standardized terms. Our proprietary AI solution, validated by human review, has saved approximately 19 years of manual work since 2017. Bayer is also using AI to drive innovation in radiology. In 2022, we have launched Calantic Digital Solutions, a platform designed to support radiologists by automating time-consuming tasks, accelerating workflows, and enabling improved detection.
AI is at the forefront of change in consumer self-care.
Our use of AI is empowering individuals to live healthier through precision health, enabling more informed decisions based on personal insights and innovative delivery methods. The launch of AI-based solutions is empowering consumers in better understanding their symptoms and potential treatments. For example, over 220,000 women have taken control of their intimate health using the ADA AI-backed health symptom checker on the Canesten website. Furthermore, in collaboration with HUMA, the Aspirin Heart Health 10-minute assessment tool provides highly accurate personal risk assessments for cardiovascular disease without the need for blood tests or physical examinations. As a result, 80% of the audience learned about their heart risk, and 50% intended to consult with a doctor.
We’re amplifying our efforts rapidly and efficiently across all operations – enabling us to serve our customers more effectively.
Using AI as a strategic tool, Bayer is amplifying our capacity for innovation and providing more personalized, accessible solutions to our customers with exceptional efficiency. AI helps identify potential safety issues, as well as aids in monitoring and complying with regulations. Our use of AI is optimizing our supply chains, reducing operational costs, minimizing waste, and enabling us to serve our customers better and faster through more efficient distribution of products.
Bayer is committed to the ethical and responsible use of AI.
Rapid advancements in AI and machine learning, as well as the emergence of generative AI (gen AI), amplify the need to consider and address ethical implications such as the minimization of bias, privacy safeguarding, and the fostering of transparency and accountability. We recognize the need for thoughtful deliberation on these matters and welcome the work of organizations such as the OECD and US-EU Trade and Technology Council in developing universally recognized and acceptable standards.
We recognize the transformative potential of generative AI.
Throughout our history, Bayer has embraced technological breakthroughs that augment our tool books. We thrive on the use of disruptive innovations, recognizing the intrinsic value and competitive edge they provide. Bayer has strategically invested in the internal development of myGenAssist – a secure, bespoke gen AI platform tailored to Bayer’s unique needs. It provides customized assistants connected to internal and external data sources to more than 40k employee users, supporting their access to knowledge and creation of content at a fraction of the cost of commercial alternatives. In addition, we have established APIs to in-house applications to adapt the best AI models to hundreds of specific business cases and are already reaping early benefits. As AI matures so will myGenAssist as a key tool to harness the technology’s potential at scale.
Innovation at Bayer is powered by people.
While AI is adept at analyzing immense data for actionable insights, the human element – particularly in discerning strategic insights and making decisions based on nuanced considerations – remains irreplaceable. AI is a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human judgment. Our employees need to be well-versed in AI applications and understand how to leverage AI tools responsibly, effectively, and for innovative and creative ideas that drive customer satisfaction. This necessitates training our personnel to apply AI solutions to real-world challenges and attracting exceptional individuals with AI expertise to join us in our mission. Explore opportunities to join our team, where innovation is powered by people!
We believe in strength through collaboration.
Bayer is committed to fostering valuable relationships with strategic partners. We seek partnerships that enhance our industry leadership and, more importantly, provide immense value to our customers. Discover some of our current alliances that augment internal expertise and elevate the possibilities of healthcare and agricultural breakthroughs.
The best of AI remains to unfold.
Across Bayer, hundreds of initiatives are underway to leverage AI in our quest for innovation. The impact that artificial intelligence is already having today makes it clear that we are only at the beginning of an era of unimaginable innovation. Driven by our scientific values and our vision of effective, sustainable, and accessible Health for All, Bayer scientists will continue to explore how this paradigm-shifting technology can be used for better.
