If you’re here, you’ve likely heard about artificial intelligence tools in vet practice - but what does that actually mean for frontline veterinary teams? Learning about AI in veterinary medicine can feel overwhelming. However, as I have built my Vet AI Tool Database & Search Engine, I’ve realized this growing list of hundreds of products can be classified into several main categories, which is a lot easier to wrap your brain around! This guide explains the primary categories

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering veterinary medicine whether we’re ready or not. Some tools are excellent. Some are deeply flawed. Most lie somewhere in between. That doesn’t mean AI is bad. But it does mean you need to know what you’re using – just like any other medical tool.

If you’re evaluating AI tools for your veterinary clinic, it’s easy to assume all companies are held to the same standards. But in reality, AI regulation and ethical frameworks vary dramatically depending on where a product is developed, deployed, or marketed. Below is a curated list of global guidelines, frameworks, and medical device policies to help you understand what standards AI developers should be following.

If you’re trying to evaluate whether an AI product is safe or ethically designed, you’ll quickly realize that there’s no universal standard - and formal regulation often isn’t required at all. That’s where internationally recognized standards come in. While not legally required, ISO and IEEE certifications can be strong indicators that a product is developed with serious attention to ethics, safety, security, and quality.