Artificial intelligence use among veterinary professionals more than doubles in 2 years

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from experiment to everyday tool in veterinary medicine, according to a new benchmark study from Digitail and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The survey found that 83.7% of veterinary professionals now use AI, up from 39.2% in 2024, and 88.3% of users engage with it daily or weekly.^1-3

Adoption alone, however, does not guarantee value. Practices that approach AI strategically reported 6 times the business outcomes of the least mature practices.¹

"Two years ago, the question was whether veterinary professionals would even try AI. Today it's part of the daily workflow for every role in the practice, so the question has changed: how well is it being put to work, and where is the biggest room to grow? That's why we put an AI maturity model at the center of this year's study," said Sebastian Gabor, CEO and co-founder of Digitail, in the release.¹

Measuring AI maturity

The survey collected 1730 self-reported responses from veterinary professionals across roles and practice types in the US and Canada between July 27 and August 12, 2026. It retained core measures from the 2024 Digitail-AAHA survey of 4031 respondents, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.^1,3

This year's study added the Veterinary AI Maturity Index, which scores practices from 1 (ad hoc) to 4 (advanced) across 6 dimensions: strategy and intent, governance and oversight, vendor evaluation, workflow and technology integration, adoption depth, and capability and readiness. The framework is adapted from the Healthcare AI Governance Readiness Assessment.¹

The average score was 2.67 out of 4. Capability and readiness scored highest, and governance and oversight scored lowest, trailing by more than 1 point. Maturity tracked closely with results: level 1 practices reported an average of 0.64 positive outcomes, compared with 4.05 at level 4. Among level 1 practices, 70.9% reported no measurable impact, vs about 11% at levels 3 and 4.²

"Most surveys tell you how many veterinary professionals are using AI. Digitail wanted to know what separates practices seeing actual results from those seeing none, and what got them there," said Bill Voegeli, president of Association Insights, who led the research.¹

How practices are using AI

Clinical documentation, including AI scribes and SOAP notes, was the most common use, reported by 62.8% of AI users. Client communication followed, while diagnostic applications such as radiograph, laboratory, and cytology interpretation were less common. Practices used AI in an average of 3.33 areas.^1-2

Reported benefits included higher patient throughput (44.3%), better client retention or satisfaction (32%), and new or expanded digital services (29.2%). About 20% reported no measurable impact yet.²

Gaps in strategy and governance

Despite widespread use, 65.2% of practices added AI without meaningfully changing workflows, and nearly half have no AI strategy or designated owner. Close to one-third have no governance supports, such as usage guidelines, staff training, a named AI lead, or formal tool review.^1-2

"A maturity model is a new lens for this profession, and what it revealed is the clear role of strategy, governance, and workflow design in the value practices report from AI," Voegeli said.¹

Shifting attitudes and concerns

Sentiment has grown more positive, with optimists rising to 56.3% and skeptics falling to 22.7%. Fear of job displacement dropped from 37.2% in 2024 to 20%. Reliability and accuracy remained the top concern (67.4%), while concerns about data security and privacy (59%) and lack of training (47.1%) rose.²

Looking ahead, 79.8% of respondents expect AI to be part of most clinic workflows within 5 years.¹

"Practices that take a strategic approach report more time with patients, stronger client retention and more revenue. We want this research to give veterinary teams a clear path to that value in their own clinics," Gabor said.¹

References

1. Veterinary AI use reaches 83.7%, and practices that adopt it strategically report six times the business outcomes—Digitail and AAHA study. News release. Digitail. October 1, 2026. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://digitail.com/blog/digitail-and-aaha-release-2026-veterinary-ai-benchmark-study/
2. The state of AI in veterinary medicine: 2026 Digitail and AAHA study. Digitail. October 1, 2026. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://digitail.com/blog/the-state-of-ai-in-veterinary-medicine-2026-digitail-and-aaha-study/
3. Gabor S, Danylenko G, Voegeli B. Familiarity with artificial intelligence drives optimism and adoption among veterinary professionals: 2024 survey. Am J Vet Res. 2025;86(S1):S63-S69. doi:10.2460/ajvr.24.10.0293