Understanding Young Scientists’ Experiences through a Phenomenological Approach of Artificial Intelligence Integration in Drug Discovery and Development
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Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in Drug Discovery and Development has transformed scientific methodologies, accelerating molecular identification and therapeutic design while reshaping the human experience of research. Within this changing landscape, understanding how scientists internalize and interpret technological transformation has become a critical aspect of modern scientific inquiry. Despite growing empirical research on AI performance and adoption, little is known about the lived experiences of young scientists adapting to AI-driven systems specifically, how they construct meaning and redefine professional identity through this process. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, this study explores how young pharmaceutical researchers experience, negotiate, and make sense of AI integration in their daily scientific work. To ensure methodological transparency, the IPA design in this study followed core procedures, including purposive sampling, in-depth idiographic case analysis, and a systematic, iterative interpretative process.Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve participants actively involved in preclinical and computational drug discovery. The analysis revealed four interrelated themes: emotional ambivalence, cognitive reorientation, redefined scientific agency, and emergent professional identity. These findings demonstrate that adaptation is not merely procedural but an existential and epistemic transformation, where scientists move from perceiving AI as a threat to embracing it as a collaborative partner in knowledge creation. The study contributes to a more human-centered understanding of technological innovation in pharmaceutical research. Its implications suggest the need for reflective training, institutional support, and ethical awareness in managing AI transitions, ensuring that human agency and interpretive meaning remain central to future scientific advancement.
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