Karla Childers – Ethical Guardrails for AI in Pharma

Ethical Guardrails for AI in Pharma

In episode fourteen, we welcome Karla Childers to AI Uncovered. Karla is a long-standing leader in bioethics and data transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson, she brings deep expertise in navigating the ethical implications of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, in medicine and drug development.

In this episode, Tim and Karla explore the intersection of AI, bioethics and patient-centered development. They discuss how existing ethical frameworks are being challenged by the rise of generative AI and why maintaining human oversight is critical—especially in high-context areas like clinical trial design, consent and medical communications. Karla also shares her views on the future of data privacy, the complexity of patient agency and how to avoid losing trust in the race for efficiency.

Karla is a strong advocate for using innovation responsibly. From her work with internal bioethics committees to her perspective on evolving regulatory expectations, she offers bold insights into how the industry can modernize without compromising ethics or equity.

“I think one of the most important things all of us can do is to use the technology, practice, engage, learn—because it’s difficult to weigh in on the ethics if you don’t understand how it’s actually being used.”

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