The End of Biostatisticians?
The era of AI is upon us. Naturally, this means a lot of people are questioning whether their jobs will be automated by AI.
Biostatisticians are particularly worrisome when it comes to this matter.
This probably has something to do with our analytical, overthinking brains that makes us so inclined to this field in the first place.
Personally, I don’t think we need to be so worried.
Reasons Why Biostatisticians Are Safe
Here are some 10 reasons why I am not worried about AI taking biostatistician jobs, and you shouldn’t be either.
1. AI would be a threat to most jobs, not just biostatistics – If biostatisticians can be replaced – so can most other jobs, so at least we’ll all be unemployed. Adaptability is key in any field.
2. AI is a tool, not a replacement – I believe biostatisticians who integrate AI will be in demand. It will be used as a tool in your work, but it will not replace your need to use the tool.
3. We haven’t reached sentience (yet) – Human oversight in healthcare and statistics remains crucial. Until we have an iRobot situation, we shouldn’t be worrying so much – you’ll still need to oversee what AI is doing.
4. Healthcare and pharma are highly regulated industries – AI adoption is slower due to ethical, legal, and compliance concerns. The general public has a scepticism to “big pharma” as it is – try telling them that AI is in control.
5. AI-generated results will still require human expertise – AI can automate tasks, but statistical reasoning and validation are human-driven. Ask biostatisticians if chatGPT is even close to doing all their work now.
6. Pharmaceutical companies rely on regulatory approval – AI can’t yet handle FDA/EMA compliance, clinical trial design, or medical ethics alone. Regulatory bodies will not accept AI doing this work.
7. AI bias and errors make human verification essential – AI models can produce misleading results if not checked by experts. We’ve all had chatGPT make a mistake when you’ve asked it a question, bias and errors will happen.
8. Developing AI for biostatistics requires biostatisticians – AI models will depend on biostatisticians to develop, maintain and improve their functionality. Even if AI takes over, you will still be needed to maintain our AI overlords.
9. Public trust in AI-driven healthcare is low – Decision-making in medicine still requires human professionals to ensure accountability. Just like you wouldn’t fully trust chatGPT diagnosing you with a disease – trusting it to design studies and analyze complex data is fraught with doubt.
10. New AI-driven job roles will emerge – Biostatisticians who upskill in AI/ML will have opportunities in adjacent fields. Health data science and medical AI development will likely grow – this allows the savvy biostatistician to have some flexibility in the jobs they apply for.
Not convinced?
Look up recent job postings for biostatistician jobs. Notice that how there are still jobs available. Take a look at how many list AI/ML skills as requirements.
This is a great sign that the field is adapting to AI rather than being replaced by it, and it shows that there is still an ongoing demand for biostatisticians.