Sparking an AI Conversation

From AI scribes and workflow tools to emerging diagnostic applications, VetSpark is giving veterinary professionals a practical framework for navigating the technology’s opportunities and challenges.

Whether veterinarians are sold on the use of Artificial Intelligence in their practice or not, they and their teams are interacting with the technology on a daily basis.

Indeed, even practices that are not actively adopting AI tools are interacting with the technology constantly through their clients, said Dr. Keri Riddick, executive director of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA).

In the past, veterinarians often encountered information that pet owners found through “Dr. Google.” Today, clients are increasingly arriving with information generated by tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and other AI platforms.

“At the same time, many veterinary laboratories, diagnostic companies and technology vendors are using artificial intelligence to enhance the services they provide,” Dr. Riddick said. “AI is being incorporated into areas such as diagnostic imaging, laboratory result interpretation, workflow management and client communication. Because these technologies are becoming commonplace, it is important for veterinarians to understand how they work so they can make informed decisions about the tools they use in their practices.”

Just as importantly, Dr. Riddick said AI is shaping expectations within the veterinary workforce. Veterinary colleges are incorporating technology into the education of future veterinarians, and new graduates are entering practice with expectations that modern tools and technology will be available in the workplace. For veterinary hospitals seeking to recruit and retain talented young professionals, maintaining current technology is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage.

“AI should also be a priority because it has the potential to alleviate some of the profession’s most significant pain points,” she said. “Technologies such as AI scribes can reduce the administrative burden of medical record-keeping and allow veterinarians to spend more time focused on patients and clients. As these tools become more widely adopted, veterinarians will need to develop new workflows and review processes. Rather than reviewing records they have personally written, clinicians may increasingly find themselves editing and validating AI-generated documentation.”

Built around a practical question

The GVMA began discussing in earnest the impact of artificial intelligence on the veterinary profession in 2023. “We recognized that the widespread availability of large language models would fundamentally change how information is accessed, analyzed and used within veterinary medicine,” Dr. Riddick said. At the same time, artificial intelligence was already being incorporated into some of the equipment used in practices.

Recognizing both the opportunities and challenges associated with these technologies, the GVMA developed the concept of VETSPARK in 2024. At the time, there were very few educational resources available to help veterinarians understand artificial intelligence and its implications for clinical practice. Yet practitioners were already making decisions informed by AI-powered tools, often without a clear understanding of how the technology worked, its strengths, or its limitations. VETSPARK was created to bridge that gap.

Rather than focusing on technology for technology’s sake, the program is built around a practical question: What technologies should veterinary professionals be paying attention to, and how can they actually use them in practice? The program covers topics ranging from foundational AI concepts and multi-agent AI to telemedicine, AI-assisted oncology, workflow optimization, implementation strategies and hands-on application of AI tools.

The program is particularly valuable for veterinarians and practice leaders who want to move beyond simply hearing about AI and begin thinking strategically about how it can support their teams, workflows and patient care. VETSPARK emphasizes technology that works with veterinary professionals rather than replacing them, including discussions of the legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI and telemedicine.

For practices at any stage of their technology journey — from those just beginning to explore AI to those considering how to build an implementation plan — VETSPARK offers a combination of education, interactive learning and practical strategies for putting emerging technology to work.

Where AI delivers value now

For veterinary practices, the greatest value from AI today may be less about diagnosing disease and more about reducing the administrative burden on veterinary teams.

“Today, the easiest areas for AI implementation and usage are medical record scribing, creating staff training materials and SOPs, client communications, clinic profitability and inventory/order management,” said Don Riddick, attorney and former veterinary practice owner and LVT. Riddick was a key subject-matter contributor to VETSPARK, particularly on the legal, regulatory and responsible-use aspects of AI.

While AI can support diagnostics and veterinary knowledge bases, those applications are still developing and do not yet offer the same immediate value as administrative, communications and practice management tools.

Over the next decade, AI could become even more deeply embedded in veterinary medicine. Technologies such as agentic commerce, synchronous virtual monitoring and increasingly sophisticated AI systems could provide practices with far more real-time health data for companion and large animals. General practitioners may also be able to simulate uncommon procedures before performing them, potentially expanding the services they can offer. At the same time, AI-driven purchasing and approvals could streamline operations while changing how veterinary businesses market products and services.

Perhaps the biggest long-term challenge, Riddick said, will be “maintaining the veterinarian’s value proposition as expert AI advice becomes more accurate and sophisticated.”

Moving beyond misconceptions

For Dr. Keri Riddick, one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption in veterinary medicine may not be the technology itself, but how veterinarians perceive it.

“I think veterinarians often underestimate how adaptable they are,” she said. “Throughout their careers, they have successfully adopted new medical advances, technologies, and practice tools, and AI is no different.”

Dr. Riddick said common misconceptions include the idea that AI is too difficult, expensive or time-consuming to implement, or that it is only relevant to highly technology-focused practices. In reality, she said, many veterinarians are already interacting with AI-powered tools, whether they realize it or not.

Security is another concern. Dr. Riddick compares the conversation around AI security to the industry’s transition from paper records to electronic medical records. There were similar concerns about security and privacy when electronic records were introduced, she noted, yet they have since become standard practice.

“When implemented thoughtfully and used responsibly, it can be a secure and valuable tool,” she said.

That is part of VETSPARK’s mission: to help veterinarians move beyond misconceptions and develop the knowledge to evaluate AI tools with confidence. The goal, Dr. Riddick said, is not to hand control over to technology, but to ensure veterinarians remain in control of how AI is used within their practices.

To date, Dr. Riddick said VETSPARK participants have been highly engaged, remaining active throughout the full two-day program — selecting this program over the scientific veterinary medicine topics. “The strongest feedback we receive is their enthusiasm for future sessions, with many asking when the next VETSPARK event will be offered.”

For VETSPARK’s creators, the goal isn’t to predict exactly where AI will take veterinary medicine, but to make sure veterinarians are prepared to help shape where it goes.