AI in Life Sciences? Here's How That Works

Today’s guest is Dr. Loubna Bouarfa, CEO of Cambridge-based AI productization company OKRA Technologies. Founded in 2015, OKRA Technologies aims to create easily explainable and actionable data sets for healthcare workers. Utilizing the Okra Explainability Engine, the company empowers users by explaining the outputs behind AI systems. They offer solutions to existing teams in the Life Sciences industry to enable quick and decisive action to be taken by employees. Loubna joins us today to discuss how OKRA Technologies works to provide suggestions and awareness of emerging treatments, how they utilize historical data to prioritize needs and overcoming opposition to AI adoption. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • OKRA’S mission statement • How they select and serve their demographic • The process of articulating the correct treatments regardless of user location • Forecasting outcomes • How their engine provides suggestions and creates awareness of emerging treatments • Building trust and overcoming fear in the Life Sciences industry • Providing equal opportunities for everyone to have access to treatments • Drawing on historical data to prioritize needs for treatment • How OKRA provides insights • The effects of COVID-19 on the adoption of artificial intelligence • Creating explainable and accessible AI • The process of algorithm validation • Creating scalable solutions • What types and amount of data are needed to create operable algorithms? • The main challenges of adopting AI in the Life Sciences field • The build vs buy mentality and how it can be detrimental • Where Loubna sees the industry heading over the next decade