Johnson & Johnson is expanding its use of artificial intelligence across drug discovery, surgical training, and supply chain operations, part of a broader push to integrate data science with clinical expertise. The company is also collaborating with government and academic partners in New Jersey to help establish an AI Hub in the state it has called home since 1886.
"At J&J, we are applying AI in prioritized areas that deliver the highest value, focusing on finding solutions to pressing health challenges and advancing our impact for patients," said Jim Swanson, Johnson & Johnson's Chief Information Officer. "We believe that technology, paired with science and people, has the potential to not just incrementally improve, but to truly transform healthcare."
Faster drug discovery and clinical trials
J&J is using AI and digital health technologies to speed up drug discovery and design clinical trials that better represent the patient populations its treatments serve. The company also applies machine learning to virtual prototyping of medical devices, gaining earlier insights into safety, efficacy, and product performance before physical testing begins.
Across oncology, immunology, and neuroscience, the company feeds data sets - from digital images to video and sound recordings - into AI models to identify novel biomarkers and clinical endpoints. The goal is to match the right medicines to the right patients at the right time by measuring disease severity and treatment response with greater precision.
Surgical precision and training
In the operating room, surgeons can use AI to analyze a patient's anatomy and receive recommendations on which instruments to use and what correction plan to follow. The technology supports more personalized surgical care by tailoring the approach to individual anatomy rather than relying solely on standardized protocols.
J&J's digital ecosystem for surgery also includes AI-based video assessment tools. Surgeons can connect via telepresence to share OR video with residents and peers. The system captures significant moments from procedures, giving surgeons material for post-case analysis, quality-improvement reviews, and structured learning opportunities.
Supply chain resilience
Supplier disruptions, economic shifts, and changing market trends can destabilize the availability of medical products. J&J uses AI to generate more accurate supply-and-demand forecasts for hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, aiming to help treatments reach patients faster when interruptions occur.
Why this matters for healthcare professionals
AI tools are moving beyond research labs and into clinical workflows, supply chain planning, and surgical training. For clinicians and hospital administrators, the practical takeaway is that AI-assisted video review, demand forecasting, and anatomy analysis are already being embedded in products used at the point of care. Understanding how these systems work - and what data they rely on - will become part of evaluating their utility and limits in daily practice.
Your membership also unlocks:
