[Desk’s View] AI era, will MRs disappear or be empowered?

It’s not true that AI is threatening every occupation. It simply replaces tasks that can be aided first. Conversely, those who turn AI into their own tool will have more advantage than before.  

This applies across every industry. Marketing representatives (MRs) in the pharmaceutical sector are now confronting this challenge.

AI retrieves product information faster than individuals. It can outline research articles and clinical guidelines, analyze sales and customer data, and more. It also prioritizes which medical professionals to visit. Much of the work that previously relied on MR’s knowledge and experience can now be done by AI.

Then, what remains for the MR?

Ultimately, it comes down to ‘face-to-face meetings.’

In pharmaceutical sales, the fundamental role of MR lies in direct engagement with medical professionals. No matter how effectively AI seeks information, it cannot meet doctors. Reading subtle reactions, discerning the underlying intent of questions, and pivoting the conversation in real time remain uniquely human capabilities.

In the past, visit frequency served as a key competitive edge for MRs. By maximizing touchpoints and building relationships, MRs delivered product information and provided data necessary for prescribing decisions.

That is no longer the case. Physicians now utilize AI to source the information they need independently. They no longer rely on MRs to review drug details or clinical studies. Consequently, the rationale for in-person meetings based solely on basic information delivery is diminishing.

Paradoxically, this makes 'face-to-face interaction' even more critical.

The priority has shifted from how often MRs visit to what value they deliver during those interactions. Clear, impactful communication matters more than merely possessing vast knowledge. MRs must understand clinicians' inquiries and provide evidence-based responses, interpreting and tailoring the same dataset to fit each physician's specific practice setting.

AI can make these interactions substantially more refined.

MRS analyze data to identify key target customers. Before field visits, MRs can practice handling anticipated questions and objections with AI models. Gaps identified during actual interactions can be analyzed and addressed in follow-up calls. Internal sales training can similarly pivot from memorizing product specs to simulating real-world physician scenarios.

Ultimately, the evolution of pharmaceutical sales in the AI era is straightforward.

Delegating to AI what AI does best and allowing humans to focus on what humans are good at. This means reallocating time previously spent on information retrieval and data analysis toward high-value dialogue and trust-building with medical professionals.

What matters is not the extent of AI implementation, but how effectively AI is leveraged to maximize the value of every single interaction with a physician.

Pharmaceutical companies face the same dilemma. Simply adopting an AI platform does not automatically grant a commercial edge. What matters far more is how companies fill the capacity freed up by AI and which strategic roles they direct their MRs to concentrate on.

This is where the future trajectories of MRs will diverge.

MRs who remain confined to routine information delivery and repetitive call cycles will inevitably see their roles diminish. Conversely, the value of MRs who offload analytical tasks to AI and concentrate on meaningful physician engagement will continue to appreciate.

In the end, the answer returns to the human element. As AI automates routine tasks, human professionals must excel even further at what only humans can do.

MRs who AI will replace versus MRs who will be empowered. Pharmaceutical sales in South Korea now stand at this crossroads.