85% of Pet Parents Prefer AI Vets

In a recent episode of The BIG Strategy Podcast, Cal Lai, founder of AskVet, shared on-the-ground insights on how artificial intelligence addresses critical challenges in veterinary care. With a severe shortage of veterinary professionals—currently 25,000 short and projected to reach 50,000 by 2030—AI offers a transformative solution that extends expertise rather than replacing it.

The Power of Veterinary Data

"Data is the new oil," Lai emphasizes, but with an important distinction: it must be structured, accessible, and valuable. Unlike information stored in scattered PDFs or paper files, actionable data requires organization and purpose. AskVet has leveraged 2.5 million pet healthcare conversations to create what Lai calls "focused language models" (FLMs)—specialized AI trained on deep, industry-specific knowledge.

This data advantage allows AskVet's AI assistant, Vera (Veterinary Engagement and Relationship Agent), to offer medical insights no human veterinarian could match. "You'll never meet a human veterinarian who's seen two and a half million patients in their lives," Lai points out.

AI Agents: Extending Human Expertise

Vera doesn't aim to replace veterinarians but to handle routine matters that consume valuable clinic time. The technology serves three key functions:

1. Medical guidance: Providing advice, education, and triage recommendations while respecting legal boundaries that prohibit remote diagnosis in most states
2. Process automation: Streamlining administrative tasks like insurance claims review and biosecurity protocols that typically require medical knowledge
3. Data analytics: Making veterinary information searchable, queryable, and accessible—revealing patterns and insights previously hidden in disconnected information

In Lai's words, AI helps veterinarians "operate at the tops of their degrees" by allowing them to focus on complex medical cases while technology handles time-consuming routine matters.

Three Types of Veterinary AI Agents

AskVet has developed specialized AI agents to address different needs within the veterinary ecosystem:

1. Medical Triage Agents: These interact directly with pet parents, answering questions about symptoms, educating on proper pet care, and determining when veterinary visits are necessary. For example, when a pet owner reports their dog is vomiting, the agent can decide if it's due to a simple food transition issue or requires immediate medical attention.
2. Administrative Agents: These handle process-intensive tasks requiring veterinary knowledge, such as reviewing pet insurance claims (reducing processing time from 15 minutes to seconds) or managing biosecurity protocols for livestock facilities. By automating these processes, veterinary professionals can dedicate more time to complex medical cases.
3. Data Intelligence Agents: These systems analyze vast veterinary data to reveal patterns, trends, and insights. They make medical information instantly accessible through natural language queries, allowing practitioners and businesses to extract valuable insights that would otherwise remain hidden in unstructured data.

Each agent type uses the same core veterinary AI technology but serves different stakeholders in the pet healthcare ecosystem—from worried pet parents to insurance providers to veterinary practices.

Surprising User Adoption

Perhaps most surprising is how readily pet owners have embraced AI assistance. Contrary to expectations, AskVet's research revealed that 85% of users—particularly millennials and younger pet owners — actually preferred interacting with an AI agent over a human veterinarian.

Why? "They don't like being judged," Lai explains. Many pet parents feel guilty or inadequate when facing expensive treatment recommendations they can't immediately afford. AI provides judgment-free guidance, creating a psychologically safer space for pet care questions.

This acceptance extends to practical matters as well. With veterinary practices unable to answer 50% of incoming calls (and 45% never returned), AI assistants ensure pet owners receive immediate attention when needed.

The Future of Veterinary Care

As the industry faces worsening staff shortages, AI offers a practical solution summed up in Lai's mantra: "Do more with what we have." Rather than replacing veterinarians, technology extends beyond treatment rooms into living rooms, providing accessible care when and where pet parents need it.

The impact is already substantial. When pet owners interact with Vera, 50% forget they're speaking with an AI by the end of the conversation's end addressing her as if she were human and thanking her personally.

As we move past initial fears and skepticism about AI, veterinary care benefits tremendously from this technology. It improves accessibility, efficiency, and, ultimately, the health of our beloved pets through intelligence that complements rather than replaces human expertise.