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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: Veterinary medicine and One Health in the age of AI
July 15, 2026
One of the great privileges of being on the Executive Council of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is the opportunity to travel to international meetings and interact with colleagues from around the world. As I write this, I have just returned from Japan where I attended meetings for the International Veterinary Officers Coalition (IVOC) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA). The IVOC meetings focused on challenges veterinary associations face with membership models, service to their members, challenges with Competition Authorities, veterinary education and veterinary paraprofessionals, as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) may affect our profession. The WVA meetings focused on topics such as Animal Sentience, Access to Essential Veterinary Medicines, Veterinary Education and many aspects of One Health. Canada was well represented in the Sentience seminar led by Dr. Enid Stiles, during which Drs. Pat Turner and Michelle Groleau presented work that has been done in Canada and by the CVMA Animal Welfare Committee on the topic.
The impact and use of AI was frequently discussed at many meetings. Like any disruptive technology, the risk benefit profile of AI is largely unknown. Even those who have created AI tools are not entirely sure how the algorithms are working anymore, as they have “evolved” past the original programing. Even more worrisome is the ability of these models to “hallucinate” or “scheme” to create answers, making their reliability questionable in many cases. Moreover, in veterinary medicine, unlike human medicine, these tools do not have a robust third party (government) regulatory system to ensure they are accurate. With that said, there is much potential for these tools to improve care and aid us in a wide variety of tasks such as interpreting radiographs and cytology, medical record keeping, surgical planning, drug and vaccine development, and tasks like managing the complex logistical needs to deliver medication and vaccines to remote areas of the world.
The benefits of AI may be great, but the environmental costs from the vast quantities of water and energy needed to power the servers, as well as the societal implications, should give us all pause. There is a need for veterinary associations to give guidance to their members on how to best use AI tools, what questions we need to ask of the marketers of products, and to work with governments and regulators to develop clear frameworks on the regulation of products and the use of AI in practice. I would like to share the words of Dr. Kazhiko Imamura from Japan, speaking in regard to One Health efforts in his prefecture (ironically his speech was translated by an AI tool from Japanese into English):
“There is a frontier between the brain and AI, artificial intelligence, and when considering connections with nature and human existence within that context, One Health actually also involves policy aspects.
Upon deeper reflection, I have recently come to think that it could be said to be the last stronghold for humans to remain truly human. AI can perform calculations and logical tasks, but it is incapable of sensing nature. However, humans possess senses such as the wind and light felt in the forest, the smell of soil, and the connections between people, as well as between humans and animals. I believe that the era of AI will be one in which human value can no longer be explained solely by knowledge, reasoning, or the efficiency and superiority of information processing. AI can do most of that.
However, the living relationships represented by this green area — the connections, the bonds between family members and pets — and sensing them as tangible experiences, as well as realizing and embracing oneself as part of the world, ultimately emerges as the very core of my human existence. In that context, One Health may actually become a highly contemporary philosophy in the AI era.”
Finally, this is my last column for The CVJ as CVMA president. I will not deny there have been a lot of challenges. This is a time of disruption and change within our industry, but I do feel we are making progress towards a great future. I have learned over the years that although we are regulated provincially, issues that impact our profession such as access to medications, the changing landscape of business models, and international trade agreements, happen at national and international levels, and it is important that Canadian veterinarians have a voice. Associations such as ours are nothing without our members and volunteers; therefore, to all of our supporters, thank you. Lastly, I thank you all for the great honor and privilege of serving as your president for the past year and I look forward to being able to serve our profession in other ways into the future.
–Tracy Fisher
