With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more advanced and widespread, its role within veterinary practice has been chosen as the talking point of the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) upcoming discussion panel.
The panel will discuss the pros and cons, opportunities and potential pitfalls of using AI technology for managing farm animal health and welfare, with reports of AI use becoming “increasingly common in veterinary settings.”
A survey conducted by the BVA this year revealed that one in five vets working in clinical practice are already using AI.
The most commonly reported benefits were data interpretation, improved diagnostic testing and its time-saving capabilities.
However, the survey also highlighted the most common risks associated with AI, such as results possibly being interpreted without context or follow up checks, an over-reliance on AI undermining human skills, and a lack of data protection.
Despite the potential risks, the survey found that 41% of farm animal vets felt positive about the increased use of AI in the veterinary profession.
Panel discussion
BVA’s panel discussion will be taking place during the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show from 1:30pm on Thursday (November 20).
The session will be chaired by Dr. Gwen Rees, who is the BVA junior vice president, and will feature the following guests:
- Jonathan Birch – professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a principal investigator for the Foundations of Animal Sentience Project;
- Robert Hyde – co-founder of Vet Vision AI and associate professor at University of Nottingham;
- Paul Horwood – UK country head of farm at IVC Evidensia.
BVA
Dr. Rees has encouraged veterinary professionals to attend the session, where they will have a chance to pose questions to the panel.
She said: “The AI revolution presents an important opportunity for vets, particularly the potential benefits to diagnostic testing and interpreting large data sets, but it also comes with clear challenges and risks.
“With BVA’s position on the use of AI in the veterinary profession under development, this timely session will be a great opportunity to find out the latest about the use of AI tools on farms and address some of the ethical questions, including the impact on the relationship between vets, farmers and the animals under their care,” she added.
