Leading

July, 2024

The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) recognizes the evolving landscape of veterinary medicine, driven by technological advancements. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to play an increasingly significant role in healthcare, the CVMA supports implementing FDA regulations that already exist in human medicine, managing evolving concerns, and upholding ethical standards while leveraging AI technologies to improve veterinary care.

The CVMA recognizes the veterinarian as the authority for making decisions, establishing treatment protocols, and making diagnoses and recommendations for their patients. AI technologies are available to provide support to the veterinarian, but currently there is no existing technology that replaces professional judgment and clinical expertise. The CVMA encourages veterinary professionals to engage in continuous education and training to stay informed about the risks and benefits of emerging AI technologies.

The CVMA advocates for the establishment of standards and guidelines by relevant regulatory bodies to govern the use of AI in veterinary medicine. Veterinary practitioners utilizing AI technologies should obtain informed consent from clients. The AI tools used should ensure client and patient confidentiality.

The CVMA is committed to fostering responsible and ethical integration of AI in veterinary medicine. To that end, the CVMA supports collaboration between veterinary professionals, AI developers, and other stakeholders to ensure the development of AI applications that are relevant, accurate, and aligned with current veterinary standards in California.

The CVMA recognizes the dynamic nature of AI technology and encourages periodic reviews of this position statement to incorporate emerging best practices, ethical considerations, and regulatory changes.

The CVMA thanks the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association for the recent publication of its own statement on artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine, which served as the baseline for the CVMA’s position statement here.

List of concerns:

1. Detrimental Impacts on Animal Welfare
   a. Incorrect Diagnosis
   b. Incorrect Treatment
2. Transparency
   a. Validation of Data and Algorithm
   b. Informed Consent (Client-Facing)
   c. Source Bias
3. Data Management
   a. Security
   b. Ownership
   c. Source
4. Information Overreliance
   a. Skill Erosion
   b. Training Deficiencies
   c. Underutilization of Veterinarians
5. Accountability for AI-Based Decisions
   a. Ethical
   b. Legal Liability
6. Regulatory Oversight
   a. State License Concerns
   b. Federal Regulation of Products/Services

(July, 2024)