Few technologies have reshaped health care as rapidly as artificial intelligence (AI), and few companies are harnessing its potential as ambitiously as Johnson & Johnson (J&J). A leading health care company founded in 1886, J&J is using AI and data science to improve each phase of the care continuum, from accelerating early research and improving clinical trials to bringing treatments to patients and innovating in surgical procedures. 

Massachusetts: A strategic hub

Massachusetts is a strategic hub for J&J’s digital surgery and AI initiatives, anchoring its commitment to interoperable innovation across specialties. In Cambridge, J&J’s AI leadership is driven by data science and clinical research experts, reflecting the region’s depth in algorithmic development and translational medicine. J&J’s Boston Innovation Center, also in Cambridge, works across its Innovative Medicine and MedTech sectors to accelerate early-stage, transformational solutions by catalyzing the most promising ideas, wherever they are in the world. The external innovation team harnesses their deep scientific capabilities, coupled with a wide range of tools, including customized deal structures, company creation, incubation and startup services, capital investments, and other innovative business models to meet the diverse needs of entrepreneurs, scientists, and emerging companies. In Raynham, the J&J Institute delivers hands-on training programs that encourage clinicians to adopt digital tools and workflows with rigor and consistency. The innovations developed and deployed in Raynham support interoperable surgical platforms across multiple specialties.

“Johnson & Johnson unites world-class science, technology, and people to advance health care,” says Jim Swanson, executive vice president and chief information officer. “Our strong foundation in data, technology, and talent — built through more than a decade of investment in AI and intelligent automation — enables us to deliver real impact for patients worldwide.”

Augmenting science: AI co-scientists in research and development (R&D)

The company’s R&D teams are using AI to rethink how new medicines are discovered. “We’re applying AI and data science to find solutions to big challenges that can advance our impact for patients and health care systems,” says Belén Fraile Ortiz, chief R&D data science officer, Innovative Medicine at J&J. 

Machine-learning models assist R&D scientists in identifying biological drivers of disease, identifying potential new drug compounds, and helping to design safe and effective medicines; work that has already led to two new drug candidates.

At the center of this progress is MICO, J&J’s proprietary AI compound optimization platform, which has analyzed more than 2 million compounds to help researchers identify promising directions for new therapies. 

“AI is transforming the work of scientists but won’t replace them. The next generation of scientists needs to retain the judgement and intuition developed through deep study and hands-on experience, as these remain invaluable,” Fraile Ortiz says. “As researchers, in the future, we will need to adopt a mindset that welcomes data science tools … the journey is to augment human cognition, not to substitute it.”

Turning health data into diagnosis and personalized care

J&J is using AI to help support more precise, personalized care for patients. For example, J&J has developed an AI-powered biomarker test that analyzes digitized biopsy images from bladder cancer patients to detect FGFR gene alterations, which can indicate whether a tumor may respond to a targeted therapy. The company is also leveraging AI approaches to help identify prostate and lung cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from experimental or existing treatments.

Fraile Ortiz’s team also developed ARGES-UC, a suite of computer-vision models designed to analyze endoscopy videos of ulcerative colitis to measure inflammation more comprehensively and consistently than manual scoring. 

Making clinical trials smarter, faster, more representative

J&J is using AI to help scientists design smarter studies, find participants faster, and advance representative research to ensure that medical discoveries are accessible to the patients who need them.

Recruiting trial participants can take years, but the company’s Trials360.ai platform uses machine learning to analyze real-world health data — from de-identified medical records and lab results to insurance claims and imaging — to identify where eligible patients are being treated. This helps researchers select trial sites that can enroll the right mix of participants more quickly.

“We’re using AI to broaden access to clinical trials by reaching patients where they are and are streamlining key components of the drug development process,” says Swanson.

J&J’s suite of AI solutions for improving clinical trials also helps design study protocols that expand eligibility, reduce timelines, simplify operations, and lighten the burden on trial sites. “These efforts are ongoing and already making a difference towards our goal of helping therapies reach more patients, faster,” Swanson says.

Amplifying surgical precision with MedTech

Johnson & Johnson MedTech, the company’s medical technology division, is leveraging data as a foundation for AI across specialties. In medical technology, integrating data, devices, and AI across the entire clinical journey has the potential to help clinicians with data-driven insights and deliver better results for patients. It’s broader than robotics: it includes advanced navigation and imaging, clinical decision support and planning software, secure data platforms, and patient engagement tools. For electrophysiology, the CARTOSOUND FAM Module uses deep learning to help physicians map the heart with remarkable accuracy during cardiac ablation procedures, improving how irregular heart rhythms are treated and reducing the risk of complications. Meanwhile, Polyphonic™ Surgery application can be used across specialties to help connect surgical teams for live collaboration and real-time surgical guidance via telepresence, post-case analysis, and presurgical planning.

“AI will help redefine modern surgical practices and improve patient outcomes,” says Shan Jegatheeswaran, senior vice president and global head of Digital, MedTech at J&J. “Surgery is a data-rich environment. We are bringing together a coalition of innovators to help connect, analyze, and deliver value back to clinical teams and hospitals in service of patients globally.”

The goal of J&J’s AI-enabled technology isn’t to replace scientists or clinicians, but to refocus their energy on distinctly human work.

“AI will free up clinicians to focus on what matters most: the human connection,” Swanson says. “By automating routine tasks and surfacing insights, AI empowers health care professionals and helps them deliver more informed, compassionate care.”