Study finds uneven AI readiness among vet students in Spain and Portugal
Bottom line
Veterinary students in Spain and Portugal are already using AI, but mostly through informal learning rather than structured coursework, according to a new Frontiers in Veterinary Science survey of 340 undergraduate and postgraduate students during the 2023–2024 academic year. The study found that students with prior AI training reported higher self-perceived knowledge, greater use of AI tools, and more positive attitudes toward AI than peers without that exposure. It also found meaningful differences by institution, suggesting that local curriculum and culture are shaping how prepared future veterinarians feel to use these tools. (frontiersin.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary educators and practice leaders, the paper adds to a growing signal that AI literacy is becoming a workforce-readiness issue, not just a technology trend. The authors argue for deliberate curricular integration and guided AI literacy initiatives, and that recommendation lines up with broader movement in the field: a recent Frontiers curriculum framework proposed core modules on AI fundamentals, prompt engineering, ethics, legal risk, and clinical product evaluation, while U.S. schools including Auburn, Wisconsin, Kansas State, and Texas A&M are already offering AI-related veterinary coursework. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: Expect more veterinary programs to move from ad hoc student use toward formal AI teaching, especially as conferences and professional groups continue building momentum around responsible adoption. (avinformatics.org)
A new study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science suggests veterinary education is entering an uneven AI transition: students are using the technology now, but many schools still haven't built formal training around it. In a cross-sectional survey of 340 veterinary students in Spain and Portugal, researchers found that prior AI exposure was consistently associated with higher self-perceived knowledge, greater use, and more positive attitudes toward AI tools. (frontiersin.org)
The study arrives as generative AI is moving quickly from novelty to routine study aid across health professions education. The authors note that empirical evidence in veterinary medicine has been limited, even as large language models and other AI tools become more visible in classrooms and clinical training. Their survey, conducted during the 2023–2024 academic year, focused on students from public and private institutions in Spain and Portugal and examined how institutional context, prior training, and digital engagement influenced readiness. (frontiersin.org)
Methodologically, the paper used a nine-item Likert-scale questionnaire and converted composite scores to a 0–100 Percentage of Maximum Possible scale. The instrument showed strong internal consistency, and the analysis found statistically significant differences between institutions. Students with any prior AI training, whether self-directed, university-based, or external, scored higher on self-perceived knowledge and use, and they also expressed more favorable attitudes toward AI. Daily social media use had a small but statistically significant positive correlation with AI knowledge, use, and attitudes, which the authors interpret as another marker of digital engagement. (frontiersin.org)
That pattern fits with other recent veterinary education research. A 2025 Frontiers study of students at a Spanish veterinary faculty also found broad student interest in AI and highlighted both enthusiasm and the limits of self-reported experience. Meanwhile, a 2026 curriculum paper in the same journal argued that veterinary schools need structured AI literacy training that covers not only technical basics, but also ethics, workflow integration, literature search, liability, and how to critically assess commercial tools. (frontiersin.org)
Industry and academic momentum appears to be building around that idea. The Association for Veterinary Informatics says AI literacy and governance are becoming essential competencies for the profession, and Cornell’s third annual Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Veterinary Medicine, held May 29–31, 2026, brought together students, academics, and industry professionals from multiple countries to discuss responsible, practical AI use across animal health. An AAHA opinion piece published April 30, 2026, also offered a student-level view of how AI is already being used as a study and case-based learning support tool, underscoring that adoption is happening whether or not curricula are fully ready for it. (avinformatics.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about whether students are experimenting with AI and more about whether schools are shaping that use responsibly. If students learn AI mainly through self-teaching, adoption may be fast, but standards for accuracy, disclosure, bias awareness, privacy, and appropriate clinical use may remain inconsistent. The Spain-Portugal findings suggest that formal exposure can improve confidence and engagement, but they also imply a widening gap between institutions that are building AI literacy and those that are leaving students to figure it out alone. (frontiersin.org)
That has implications beyond the classroom. New graduates will enter practices where AI may support note-taking, imaging, triage, client communication, literature review, and workflow management. Educators who don't address AI directly may miss the chance to teach critical appraisal and guardrails at the same time students are normalizing these tools. The emerging curriculum proposals in veterinary medicine are notable because they frame AI as a competency to supervise, not just a tool to permit or ban. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: The next phase is likely to be policy and curriculum development, including school-level guidance on acceptable use, formal coursework, and clearer expectations for how students disclose and evaluate AI-assisted work; the pace may accelerate as more veterinary colleges pilot electives and professional forums continue pushing for responsible governance. (frontiersin.org)