With seemingly unavoidable and unceasing headlines such as “FDA Rolls Out Agentic AI for Staffers,” “How AI is Transforming Clinical Trials,” and “New AI System Could Accelerate Clinical Research” hitting the news feeds every day, it’s no wonder some observers from the trenches of the drug and device development industry want to separate the honest hope from the breathless hype when it comes to how artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to their everyday working lives.
While Tony Succar, PhD, MScMed(OphthSc), sympathizes with those who may be feeling a little overwhelmed by the onslaught of AI chatter in their workplaces, he notes that it’s not without good cause.
“AI is revolutionizing every stage of clinical trial design, conduct, and operations, and leading to cutting-edge applications that are transforming the way trials are designed and conducted, accelerating regulatory approval processes, and making them more patient-centric,” says Succar, an Assistant Professor with and Director of the Master of Science in Clinical Trial Management program at the University of Southern California (USC). “For instance, AI-powered algorithms are being used to analyze vast datasets and identify optimal patient populations in minutes, which traditionally could take months.”
Succar will put a spotlight on this and other uses of AI in the field with his poster on “AI-Driven Transformation: Shaping the Future of Clinical Trial Design, Conduct, and Operations” for the upcoming ACRP 2026 conference in Orlando, Fla.
Among other advantages to AI-based technology, the poster will also highlight how machine learning models continuously analyze incoming data to recommend protocol amendments in real time, improving both safety and efficacy outcomes, adds Succar, who is also Associate Director for Regulatory Knowledge and Support with the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute at USC.
“Another AI-based application comes in the form of digital twins, or virtual replicas of patients, which are being used to simulate trial scenarios, predict adverse events, and optimize dosing strategies prior to enrollment,” Succar says. “Since all of these new capabilities raise critical ethical and regulatory questions, my poster will address them, including how to ensure transparency, mitigate algorithmic bias, and build trust among stakeholders regarding the uses of AI in their settings.”
Other topics which will be on view from contributors to the ACRP 2026 Poster Sessions include “Addressing the CRC Workforce Crisis Through Job Design and Collaboration,” “Breaking Silos: Fostering Inclusivity in Clinical Trials Through Cross-Sector Collaboration,” “Democratizing Precision Medicine: Innovative Approaches to Decentralized Genomic Clinical Trials,” “Joint Task Force Training: Bridging the Competency Gap for Data Coordinating Center Professionals,” “Operationalizing Equity: A Student-Led Framework for Integrating Diversity Metrics into Clinical Trial Site Selection,” “Practical Strategies for Diverse Patient Recruitment,” “Practice Makes Ethical: Consent Simulation for Training and Compliance Excellence,” “Staying Connected to Why: Approaches to Staff Retention and Engagement,” and “FDA Meets AI: Who’s Regulating the Regulators?”
Edited by Gary Cramer
