In the last 2 weeks, we have heard 3 different hiring managers say they are actively looking for AI skills in interviews.
For example, Dave Harper recently joined our Aspire MSL Office Hours to talk about what MSL hiring managers really want. First off, he came prepared with slides and he bragged about making them with AI (it was adorable).
He lit up when he talked about Rainy, one of our past Aspire MSL members. He hired her straight out of the program. She hit the ground running. Then she started teaching the team how to use AI.
You could tell he was impressed as heck with her.
On the pharma training side of MSL Mastery, we are seeing the same thing. AI continues to be our most requested training. We consistently hear from 2-3 teams every week requesting AI training (it's crazy!).
We all know this is moving fast and there is a 100% chance something is going to change. But underneath the excitement, there is still one big, uncomfortable question:
Is AI eventually going to replace us?
We hear it in almost every AI training. We also hear it from managers in Growth Lab, our AI training program for how to lead during the time of AI. Their teams are worried, and many leaders feel uncomfortable too. They do not know how to talk about it without sounding dismissive or making promises they cannot keep.
So let’s pull out the crystal ball. If we imagine Field Medical 5 years from now, we see 4 very different possibilities.
World 1: The AI Augmented MSL
This is the future we want.
AI handles the heavy lifting around research, meeting preparation, and admin. The MSL gets more time to think. More time for strategy. More time for meaningful scientific engagement. More time to understand what the HCP is really saying. And more time to go to the gym to work on their biceps. 
The number of MSLs stays steady, but each MSL gets AI superpowers. This is the world MSL Mastery is trying to build and that we are betting our business on. 
World 2: The MSL Is No Longer the First Stop
In this future, HCPs increasingly use AI agents to find routine scientific information themselves. They do not need to schedule a meeting to get a basic answer. The MSL only steps in when the situation is complicated, nuanced, sensitive, or high stakes.
The role does not disappear but it decreases slightly. And the bar gets much higher. The required skillset also changes (think EQ and storytelling). 
World 3: AI Replaces MSLs
This is the future nobody likes to say out loud. AI Agents replace MSLs. Teams get smaller.
Roles begin to merge. MSLs take on work that once belonged to Medical Information, operations, or adjacent field teams. There are fewer MSLs, but the people who remain have broader, more strategic jobs.
In this world, AI does not replace every MSL, but almost. The number of MSLs decreases significantly. MSL job posting start to disappear. It becomes even more competitive. 
World 4: Medical Affairs Gets Rebuilt
This is the biggest leap. Instead of adding AI to today’s Medical Affairs model, companies redesign the entire function around it.
The title “MSL” becomes obsolete. New jobs emerge around supervising agents, designing evidence systems, and managing how humans and AI work together.
The relationship with the HCP still matters. But agents handle most of it. The traditional MSL no longer exists and required skills significantly shift toward being more techy and capable of managing agents. 
So which world are we heading toward?
We are bullish on world 1, the AI augmented MSL, but the truth is probably somewhere in between. 
On July 23, Helen Kane, CEO of One MSL, and Patrina are getting together for an open, candid, unscripted conversation about what AI is really doing to the MSL role:
Augmented, Not Automated: How AI Is Changing the Game, Not the Need for Field Medical
It's going to be about what is already changing, what leaders are struggling with, and which human capabilities will matter most if AI keeps accelerating.
July 23, 2026
7:00 AM Arizona | 3:00 PM UK
Free to attend. Live Q&A included.
The future of the MSL role is not decided yet. We would rather help build it than wait to see what happens. Come with us! Let's build the future we want to live in. 
In your corner always,
Patrina, Sarah, Ralph, & Jess
P.S. If you can't attend live, register anyway. OneMSL is sharing the recording.
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