Aaron Massecar
MA, Ph.D.
Dr. Aaron Massecar is executive director of the Veterinary Innovation Council and the former vice president of VEGucation at Veterinary Emergency Group.
Read Articles Written by Aaron Massecar
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is transforming industries worldwide, including veterinary medicine. AI tools promise to revolutionize diagnostics, client communication and practice management, but only if implemented responsibly and effectively. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI and the need for collaboration, the Veterinary Innovation Council and the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) hosted a forum that set the stage for ongoing discussions about trust, transparency and the ethical development of AI in veterinary medicine. The meeting also inspired the creation of a task force to address two of the most impactful applications of artificial intelligence in veterinary practice — radiology and scribing — and answer one critical question: “What do veterinary professionals need to know about AI in 2025?”
Starting the Conversation
The Cross-Industry Forum brought together a diverse group, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, practice managers, AI researchers, technologists and industry leaders. The diversity was crucial to ensuring a comprehensive discussion on integrating AI into veterinary practices.
The forum aimed to tackle three main objectives:
- Build trust in AI: Encourage the responsible development of artificial intelligence by promoting transparency, validation and accountability.
- Bridge knowledge gaps: Educate veterinary professionals about AI’s potential and limitations to enable informed decision-making.
- Support responsibility: Outline guidelines to ensure the ethical and effective implementation of AI tools.
Breakout sessions focused on topics such as overcoming bias in AI models, addressing regulatory hurdles, and exploring low- and high-risk applications. One highly debated idea was the importance of confidence scores in AI-generated recommendations to help users assess the reliability of the results.
Insights and Outcomes
The forum yielded three primary outcomes, setting the foundation for further exploration.
1. An Evaluation Framework
Attendees proposed that the industry develop guidelines for validating and implementing AI tools. The participants called for:
- Confidence scores to indicate the reliability of AI recommendations.
- Publicly validated datasets to ensure consistency and accuracy.
- Clear explanations of how AI models are trained and tested.
2. Building Trust
Among the recommendations were requesting public validation of AI models and categorizing AI applications as low or high risk so that veterinary professionals can adopt them incrementally. For example:
- Low risk: Tools like AI-powered scribes that manage administrative tasks with minimal risk to medical outcomes.
- High risk: AI tools where diagnostic errors could have immediate clinical consequences.
3. Collaboration and Education
The forum highlighted the need for cross-disciplinary partnerships and educational initiatives to prepare veterinary professionals for AI’s adoption and enable them to evaluate tools critically and integrate applications effectively.
Those outcomes underscored the necessity of a continued effort to understand AI’s impact on veterinary medicine. Recognizing that need, the Veterinary Innovation Council and the NAVC (publisher of Today’s Veterinary Business) established a task force to delve deeper into specific applications. The panel chose to focus on two AI applications making waves in veterinary medicine: radiology and scribing. For instance:
- AI tools in radiology are among the most widely adopted, assisting with image interpretation and the early detection of abnormalities. However, concerns remain regarding reliability, transparency and the risk of overreliance.
- AI-powered scribing tools aim to automate medical record generation. While the tools offer significant potential, ensuring accuracy and usability is paramount to avoid errors that could affect clinical outcomes.
What the Task Force Found
The task force’s soon-to-be-published report distilled findings into five key areas that veterinary professionals must understand to navigate AI in 2025.
1. AI’s Strengths and Limitations
AI excels in pattern recognition, making it invaluable for tasks involving radiology and scribing. However, such tools are only as good as the training data. Professionals must:
- Evaluate the data sources used to train AI models.
- Recognize that AI is a support tool, not a replacement for clinical judgment.
2. The Importance of Validation
The task force emphasized the need to rigorously validate AI tools. It recommended that:
- Developers use datasets for testing and validation.
- Independent bodies certify AI tools, much like the role of accrediting bodies in human medicine.
3. Trust Through Transparency
Transparency is critical for AI’s adoption. Veterinary professionals must understand:
- How AI generates recommendations.
- The associated confidence levels.
- The limitations of AI tools, such as potential biases and blind spots.
4. Ethical and Legal Considerations
Challenges will arise as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into veterinary practice. Critical considerations include:
- Determining liability when AI recommendations differ from human decisions.
- Ensuring data privacy and security in AI systems.
5. Incremental Adoption
The task force recommended starting with low-risk tools to build trust and understanding. This method will allow professionals to evaluate AI’s impact on workflows before they implement higher-risk applications.
Recommendations
Among the suggestions that emerged from the forum and task force were:
- Create standardized benchmarks for evaluating AI tools.
- Integrate AI training into veterinary education.
- Encourage partnerships between veterinary professionals, technologists and regulators to address emerging challenges.
Looking Ahead
AI is not just a tool — it’s a transformative force that can reshape veterinary medicine. By focusing on trust, education and collaboration, the profession can harness artificial intelligence to improve patient care, streamline workflows and address industry challenges. Let’s continue to ask the big questions, share our knowledge and work together to shape a future where AI is a trusted partner in veterinary medicine.
DISPELLING FEARS
According to the Built In article “How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the World” [bit.ly/3DcB3O3], “Workers in more skilled or creative positions are more likely to have their jobs augmented by AI, rather than be replaced. Whether forcing employees to learn new tools or taking over their roles, AI is set to spur upskilling efforts at both the individual and company level.”