AstraZeneca CEO: AI Will Enhance, Not Replace, Most Workers

Artificial intelligence will not lead to a significant reduction in jobs at AstraZeneca, but rather enhance the capabilities of its workforce, according to CEO Pascal Soriot.

Soriot, who leads one of Britain's largest pharmaceutical companies, stated that he anticipates AI will make employees "smarter and faster," rather than causing widespread job losses. "I personally think that this story about AI killing jobs is a bit of a fake story," Soriot said in comments that contrast with recent announcements from other major employers.

This perspective diverges from trends seen at companies like British Gas owner Centrica, which plans to eliminate 1,300 jobs over the next two years, partly by replacing customer service roles with AI chatbots. Similarly, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters faced criticism for referring to employees laid off due to AI as "lower value human capital." Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has also expressed concerns that AI could "destroy jobs."

However, Soriot, whose company employs approximately 13,000 people globally, including 10,000 in the UK, emphasized that AI's impact at AstraZeneca will primarily be on driving productivity, improving efficiency, reducing bureaucracy, and streamlining processes. This allows employees to focus on more impactful and engaging work.

He specifically noted the potential benefits of AI in drug development, particularly in the clinical testing phases, which represent significant costs and risks. AI tools are expected to help improve the success rates of trials and refine drug designs, thereby boosting overall productivity.

AstraZeneca is already utilizing AI in areas such as researching new drugs and preparing regulatory submissions. Soriot acknowledged that certain tasks and roles might be affected by AI, potentially leading to headcount reductions in specific areas. "But overall, I don't think we will see a big reduction of headcounts, at least not in our industry, certainly not in our company," he added.

Soriot's remarks were made in the context of AstraZeneca needing to operate at "Chinese speed" to keep pace with technological innovation and competitive rivals. The company projects a 5% to 9% rise in annual sales for the current year, with cancer treatments being a key driver of revenue growth. Total revenues for the first six months of 2026 reached £22.99 billion, a 6% increase over the same period in the previous year.