Embracing the changes and challenges with modern early drug discovery.

Introduction: The landscape of early drug discovery is rapidly evolving, fueled by significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which are transforming the way drugs are discovered. As traditional drug discovery faces growing challenges in terms of time, cost, and efficacy, there is a pressing need to integrate these emerging technologies to enhance the discovery process.

Areas covered: In this perspective, the authors explore the role of AI and ML in modern early drug discovery and discuss their application in drug target identification, compound screening, and biomarker discovery. This article is based on a thorough literature search using the PubMed database to identify relevant studies that highlight the use of AI/ML models in computational chemistry, systems biology, and data-driven approaches to drug development. Emphasis is placed on how these technologies address key challenges such as data integration, predictive performance, and cost-efficiency in the drug discovery pipeline.

Expert opinion: AI and ML have the potential to revolutionize early drug discovery by improving the accuracy and speed of identifying viable drug candidates. However, successful integration of these technologies requires overcoming challenges related to data quality, model interpretability, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration.