In order for an AI to evaluate the effect of a small molecule on the brain, it would have to... simulate the operation of a human brain in a simulated environment. Similarly, to avoid Thalidomide-style disasters, it would have to simulate the conception, development and growth to adulthood of a human.
These things are... physically possible, but have WBE and uploads as a hard requirement. Those are going to affect a hell of a lot of things more than the drug industry!
Amusingly, machine-phase nanotechology and blood nanobots would be easier to evaluate, since simple cell-level mechanical interventions (reading surface proteins on cancer cells and chopping them up, say) will have fewer interactions than a small molecule that diffuses into every cell in the body.
These things are... physically possible, but have WBE and uploads as a hard requirement. Those are going to affect a hell of a lot of things more than the drug industry!
Amusingly, machine-phase nanotechology and blood nanobots would be easier to evaluate, since simple cell-level mechanical interventions (reading surface proteins on cancer cells and chopping them up, say) will have fewer interactions than a small molecule that diffuses into every cell in the body.