Earlier this month, I was in Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹, as a speaker on the technology track for the WSAVA World Conference. Not only did I get to deliver two of my absolute all-time favourite talks, but I also unveiled a brand-new workshop that has been buzzing around in my mind for quite some time — which was definitely the highlight for me, and I hope for many who attended.
Imagine a room, resonating with the collective energy of over 200 veterinary professionals, teaming up with people whom they had never met before, and together using ChatGPT to assist with clinical diagnosis, generating pet care instructions, and with case management. I also found it amusing to hear the wacky responses GPT would generate when presented with totally unrealistic scenarios (let’s just say, cats have livers 😹). It really shows how technology can be a great tool to assist veterinarians, but human oversight will always be crucial when employing tech solutions.
The team and I had a blast exhibiting at the show, introducing attendees to Talkatoo and understanding practice needs from other places. I’m really looking forward to taking what we learned back with us and using it to take Talkatoo to new heights.
I will be delivering a Keynote in Illinois on Embracing Disruption in the Veterinary Medicine space, so a big standout moment for me was the Unleashed StartUp Village, featuring 10 of the most disruptive Vet Tech StartUps from around the world. These cutting-edge and disruptive innovations are redefining Veterinary Medicine. One StartUp I was excited to see featured was GekkoVet, which uses AI-assisted algorithms to improve quality and speed in clinical decision-making. I have spoken at conferences around the world on AI and its potential to assist Veterinarians in various aspects, from diagnosis to treatment recommendations to client communications. My company, Talkatoo,’s main mission is to give Veterinarians time back in their day, so seeing the many amazing ways AI is already being utilized to assist Veterinarians and streamline their workload is always inspirational.
Outside of the conference, I took the opportunity to explore a bit of Lisbon. The beautiful main square was a great place for a walk, and I stayed at this beautiful hotel located very close to the Portuguese Convention Center, called the Pestana Palace — it was the first time I’ve ever stayed in a palace and I would highly recommend it. It was an amazing experience, and I’ll certainly miss Lisbon, the wonderful sunny weather, and the great company.
