Karla Childers - Ethical Guardrails for AI in Pharma

We welcome Karla Childers to AI Uncovered. Karla is a long-standing leader in bioethics and data transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson, she brings deep expertise in navigating the ethical implications of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, in medicine and drug development.In this episode, Tim and Karla explore the intersection of AI, bioethics and patient-centered development. They discuss how existing ethical frameworks are being challenged by the rise of generative AI and why maintaining human oversight is critical—especially in high-context areas like clinical trial design, consent and medical communications. Karla also shares her views on the future of data privacy, the complexity of patient agency and how to avoid losing trust in the race for efficiency.Karla is a strong advocate for using innovation responsibly. From her work with internal bioethics committees to her perspective on evolving regulatory expectations, she offers bold insights into how the industry can modernize without compromising ethics or equity.Welcome to AI Uncovered, a podcast for technology enthusiasts that explores the intersection of generative AI, machine learning, and innovation across regulated industries.With the AI software market projected to reach $14 trillion by 2030, each episode features compelling conversations with an innovator exploring the impact of generative AI, LLMs, and other rapidly evolving technologies across their organization. Hosted by Executive VP of Product at Yseop, Tim Martin leads a global team and uses his expertise to manage the wonderful world of product.