>> WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE AND IT'S ALREADY BEING USED ON OUR PETS. GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER RACHEL WHALEN MET WITH LOCAL VETERINARIANS TO FIND OUT HOW THIS TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING FAMILIES AND EVEN SAVING LIVES. IT'S SOMETHING HE'S BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL FOR OUR PRACTICE DR. SHARON POWELL AT THE EDISON PARK ANIMAL HOSPITAL IS TALKING ABOUT THIS SMALL, A MICROSCOPE. >> IT USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO READ PET SAMPLES AND ATTACKED MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO REGARDLESS. I JUST REALLY HELPS WITH BREAKING DOWN EXACTLY WHAT A FIND LATER CAUSE. I CAN ONLY CATCH SO MUCH THAT TACK NIA CAST LEON SWABBED HER DOGS TO SHOW US HOW WORKS. IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST TAKING ONE GIANT PICTURE OF EVERYTHING ON THERE. AND THEN IT'LL TRANSFER OVER TO THE COMPUTER AND THEN I CAN SELECT EXACTLY WHERE IT IS THAT WE. >> LOOK AT THE SITE IN JUST MINUTES. THE MACHINE PROVIDED A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE SWAB. SO IT SHOWS IN HIS YEARS HE STILL THAT HE'S GOT SOME NICE GOING ON. SHE SAYS THIS IS A HUGE TIME SAVER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CYTOLOGY IS WHICH CAN DETECT CANCER. WE HAVE THE RESULTS BACK IN UNDER 2 HOURS. THIS NORMALLY IF I SENT OF THE TRADITIONAL WAY AGAIN, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ANSWERS. >> FOR PROBABLY 5 TO 7 DAYS. >> THE RESULTS ARE ALSO MORE ACCURATE. TAKE URINE SAMPLES, FOR EXAMPLE, I VET TECHS WOULD SHIP SAMPLES TO A SPECIAL LAB ON THE EAST COAST. NOW, THIS LITTLE MACHINE CAN DO ALL THE WORK ITSELF. IF WE SEND THE YEAR AND TO THE OUTSIDE LAB, SOMETIMES CRYSTALS WILL FORM BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SITTING FOR SO LONG AND NOT ACTUALLY BE MEDICALLY ROUTE RELEVANT AS WITH I DEVISED, THERE'S A FEAR THAT JOBS ARE AT RISK. HOWEVER, DR POWELL SAYS THIS MACHINE IS HAVING THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. THE EFFICIENCY IS HELPING THEM KEEP UP WITH A HIGHER DEMAND OF PATIENTS. EXACTLY. IN FACT, WE ARE. CAN WE JUST HIRED ANOTHER FIRST? A TECHNICIAN IS GOING TO BE STARTING TOMORROW. SO IT CERTAINLY HASN'T SLOWED US IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY, BUT NOW I SEE A DIFFERENT USE FOR AI. >> AND I THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF USE FOR AI IS WONDERFUL. LIKE MANY OF US, ANDREA FONT A HAZARD CONCERNS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TECH, SHE'S ALL FOR IT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY DOG TO WAIT A WEEK FOR RESULTS AND BEING UNKNOWN IS SO MUCH AND CAN UNNECESSARY STRESS FOR US AS DOG OWNERS PET OWNERS IN GENERAL. SO I THINK IS A WONDERFUL THING. >> THOSE RACHEL WHALEN REPORTING, IF YOU'RE UNSURE THAT YOUR VET IS USING AI, YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST ASK VMA SUGGESDOCTOR
Local veterinarians are using AI to treat your pets
Dr. Sharon Powell at the Edison Lab Animal Hospital says AI technology has been “very beneficial” to her practice.
Whether you like it or not, artificial intelligence is here, and it's already being used on our pets. Dr. Sharon Powell with Edison Park Animal Hospital uses an AI-powered microscope to read pet samples and detect medical conditions.”It's something that's been very beneficial to our practice,” Powell said.Vet tech Nyah Castellon swabbed her dog's ear to show us how it works.”It’s essentially just taking one giant picture of everything and then it will transfer over to the computer,” Castellon said.In just minutes, the machine provided her a full break-down of the swab. She says this is a huge time-saver, especially when it comes to cytology, which can detect cancer.“We had the results back in under two hours. If I sent it the traditional way, she would not have had answers for probably five to seven days,” Powell said. The results are also more accurate. Take urine samples, for instance. Before AI, vet techs had to ship samples to a special lab on the East Coast. Now, this little machine can do all the work itself.“It's one of the things that, if we send the urine to the outside lab, sometimes crystals will form because it's been sitting for so long and may not actually be medically relevant,” Powell said. As with any AI device, there's a fear that jobs are at risk. However, Powell said this machine is having the opposite effect. The efficiency is helping them keep up with a higher demand of patients.”In fact, we just hired another technician who's going to be starting tomorrow, so it certainly hasn't slowed us down,” Powell said.
Whether you like it or not, artificial intelligence is here, and it's already being used on our pets. Dr. Sharon Powell with Edison Park Animal Hospital uses an AI-powered microscope to read pet samples and detect medical conditions.
“It's something that's been very beneficial to our practice,” Powell said.
Vet tech Nyah Castellon swabbed her dog's ear to show us how it works.
“It’s essentially just taking one giant picture of everything and then it will transfer over to the computer,” Castellon said.
In just minutes, the machine provided her a full break-down of the swab. She says this is a huge time-saver, especially when it comes to cytology, which can detect cancer.
“We had the results back in under two hours. If I sent it the traditional way, she would not have had answers for probably five to seven days,” Powell said.
The results are also more accurate. Take urine samples, for instance. Before AI, vet techs had to ship samples to a special lab on the East Coast. Now, this little machine can do all the work itself.
“It's one of the things that, if we send the urine to the outside lab, sometimes crystals will form because it's been sitting for so long and may not actually be medically relevant,” Powell said.
As with any AI device, there's a fear that jobs are at risk. However, Powell said this machine is having the opposite effect. The efficiency is helping them keep up with a higher demand of patients.
“In fact, we just hired another technician who's going to be starting tomorrow, so it certainly hasn't slowed us down,” Powell said.
