Shobhit Shrotriya: Pharma is Moving from AI Pilots to Production

In this episode, Ram Yalamanchili sits down with Shobhit Shrotriya, Managing Director of Global Life Sciences R&D Operations at Accenture, to unpack what it will actually take for AI to move beyond mere pilots to full production in clinical research. Drawing on deep AI expertise, as well as decades of experience in clinical operations, Shobhit explains why most organizations are still thinking too narrowly about AI, why pilot fatigue is real, and why point solutions often fail to solve the underlying workflow problem. The conversation explores the full evolution of clinical data operations, from paper-based studies and early EDC adoption to today’s push toward AI-led transformation. Along the way, Ram and Shobhit dig into the harder questions most vendors and sponsors still avoid: fragmented data ecosystems, weak governance, poor process redesign, limited interoperability, and the importance of building systems that can actually scale in regulated environments. They also tackle one of the most important issues in enterprise AI adoption: trust. Shobhit makes the case for responsible AI frameworks, human-in-the-loop decision making, and a more realistic approach to evaluating what “failure” actually means in AI pilots. The result is a practical, executive-level discussion for leaders in pharma, biotech, CROs, and clinical data science who want to understand where AI can create real value and where the industry still has work to do.