NOVARTIS
“ AI is one step, but a significant one, in the technology lifecycle”
Bernd Bucher Chief Information Officer Novartis
“ Confidence comes with actually using it,” he says.“ Whatever tools you introduce that have AI, need to be easy to understand in terms of how you apply them and use them, so that you’ re clear on the decisions you’ re taking based on the results.”
The full-stack foundation Behind every AI deployment at Novartis is an infrastructure layer that Bernd says is critical enabler. At its base is highperformance compute – the processing power required to run large AI models – sourced through partnerships with leading global technology providers. On top of that sits a security and compliance function responsible for ensuring that every tool deployed meets the regulatory and data privacy requirements of each market Novartis operates in. All AI applications are deployed within a structured governance framework, including data protection, regulatory compliance and appropriate human oversight. Alongside this, a data layer sits, ensuring that information across is structured, governed and ready to be consumed by AI systems. And then there are the models themselves. Novartis maintains access to a broad range of advanced AI models – giving the company flexibility to select the most appropriate model for each use case rather than being locked into a single provider.
“ You need the right compute and platforms, the right security and compliance team, the right semantic
68 August 2026