An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Veterinary Professionals

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly being explored and adopted in veterinary medicine. This article provides veterinary professionals with a foundational understanding of AI and ML concepts, including the distinction among AI, ML, and deep learning; the major learning paradigms (supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning); and common algorithms and architectures such as decision trees, random forests, support vector machines, and neural networks. Key terminology, model evaluation metrics, and practical considerations for clinical implementation are discussed. Understanding these fundamental concepts will prepare veterinary professionals to evaluate, adopt, and contribute to the development of AI-based tools in their practice.