Moderna Embraces and Integrates AI and ChatGPT into Its HR Functions

Biotech giant Moderna is rethinking how work gets done, including who (or what) does it. 

Moderna merged HR and tech leadership into one position, with Tracey Franklin stepping into the new Chief People and Digital Technology Officer role. 

Her goal? Adjust teams to let people focus on what they do best and let AI handle the rest.

This structural shift is part of Moderna’s broader embrace of Artificial Intelligence, especially following its partnership with OpenAI, which began in 2023. 

The company has already developed over 3,000 custom GPTs to assist with tasks like dose selection for clinical trials and drafting regulatory responses. 

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One such GPT even functions as a virtual HR agent, handling routine employee inquiries and routing them to task-specific bots.

Many companies are trimming roles thanks to AI. However, it’s still unusual to see HR and tech officially joined. 

Moderna gets just how much AI is reshaping the HR landscape, says Franklin. She says that optimizing each department’s blend of human talent and technology has never been this important.

Moderna’s team structure has evolved significantly as it adapted to post-pandemic challenges and opportunities. From 830 employees in March 2020, Moderna has grown to over 5,000 globally. 

But it's also feeling the pressure of slowing Covid-19 vaccine sales. In February, it cut 10% of digital technology jobs (about 50 roles) and recently reported a $971 million Q1 loss.

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Franklin noted that, despite recent workforce reductions, the company remains on a growth trajectory with new product launches ahead. 

Wade Davis, Moderna’s digital business head, added that GPT use is expanding daily. “It’s hard to convey just how much AI is changing things and how deeply Moderna is integrating it,” he said.