From Scribing to Systems: How AI Is Becoming a True Teammate in Veterinary Practices
Insights from Dr. Adam Little, DVM, and Steven Carter, Co-Founder and CPO of Otto.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in veterinary medicine. It is already shaping how clinics document care, communicate with clients, and manage increasingly complex workflows. But as adoption grows, an important shift is underway. AI is moving beyond helping individual clinicians complete tasks and toward supporting entire teams across the practice.
That was the focus of Otto’s recent webinar, From Scribing to Systems: How AI Becomes a Digital Team Member in Veterinary Workflows, led by Dr. Adam Little, DVM, and Steven Carter, Co-Founder and CPO of Otto. Together, they challenged practices to rethink AI not as a tool, but as part of the operating system of the clinic itself.
Why “Single-Player” AI Falls Short in Real Clinics
Most veterinary professionals were first introduced to AI through scribes. These tools reduced documentation time and helped clinicians regain some breathing room in their day. But as Dr. Little pointed out, documentation is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
“Veterinary medicine isn’t a single-player game,” Dr. Little explained. “Our workflows are team-based, and when technology only supports one role at a time, the cracks still show up everywhere else.”
Medication refills, appointment follow-ups, diagnostic prep, and client communication all require coordination across multiple people. When AI is limited to a single user or task, the risk stays contained — but the value does too.
Steven Carter framed this clearly during the webinar, “Single-player AI helps one person finish one task. Multiplayer AI helps the practice move forward together.”
From Helping Individuals to Coordinating Teams
As AI becomes more integrated into veterinary software, expectations rise. AI is no longer just drafting notes. It is influencing workflows, triggering next steps, and interacting with systems that affect patient safety, compliance, and client trust.
That is where design matters.
“The blast radius gets much bigger when AI moves from draft mode into live systems,” Carter shared. “You need transparency, auditability, and clear human ownership — otherwise mistakes scale just as fast as efficiency.”
The webinar emphasized that deeply integrated AI must be built intentionally, with guardrails that reflect how real clinics operate. When done right, AI can help connect tools, surface risks earlier, and coordinate handoffs that are often invisible but critical.
“We’ve spent years optimizing individual tasks,” Dr. Little said. “The next step is optimizing how work flows through the clinic.”
Meeting Rising Client Expectations Without Burning Out Teams
The shift toward systems-based AI is also being driven by clients. Data shared during the session showed that younger pet owners expect digital experiences that mirror other industries — easy access to records, mobile communication, and timely follow-ups.
“Clients don’t see your tech stack — they see the experience,” Dr. Little noted. “And when that experience feels disconnected, they notice.”
The challenge is meeting those expectations without adding more work for already stretched teams. That is where coordinated AI can have the biggest impact by handling background tasks and reducing friction between systems.
“AI shouldn’t add pressure,” Carter emphasized. “It should quietly handle the work nobody has time for, so teams can focus on care, and connection.”
A Smarter Way to Think About Adoption
Rather than pushing clinics to adopt everything at once, the webinar encouraged leaders to be strategic. Start by identifying workflows where small inefficiencies compound into large costs — whether that is follow-ups, refills, lapsed client outreach, or internal coordination.
“The practices that win aren’t chasing shiny tools,” Dr. Little said. “They’re choosing technology that supports their people and protects the work that actually matters.”
The Takeaway: Build Systems That Reflect Reality
The core message from the webinar was simple but powerful. Veterinary practices are complex, team-driven environments. AI needs to reflect that reality.
“Your practice isn’t single player,” Dr. Little concluded. “Your AI shouldn’t be either.”
As veterinary medicine continues to evolve, the role of AI will too. The tools and interfaces will change. But the purpose remains the same — supporting teams, strengthening care, and helping practices stay sustainable in a demanding profession.