Perceptions of ChatGPT- and veterinarian-generated responses to pet owners' medical questions.

BACKGROUND

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly significant in veterinary medicine, particularly in answering pet owners' medical questions. AI's integration could reduce veterinary professionals' workload while improving access to medical advice. However, the reliability and quality of AI-generated responses compared to veterinarians' remain unexplored. The objective was to determine whether AI-generated responses were perceived as comparable to veterinarian-generated responses.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analysed the answers to a sample of pet owners' medical questions. Both a veterinarian and ChatGPT (GPT-4o, May 2024) provided answers, which were anonymised and presented in a survey distributed through mailing lists and public Facebook groups. Participants were asked to assess each response based on structure, quality, and empathy, using a five-point Likert scale. They then had to indicate whether they trusted the response, and which response they preferred.

RESULTS

Over two-thirds of the 201 participants (68%) preferred the ChatGPT-generated answers (p < 0.05), which were rated higher in structure, quality, and empathy.

LIMITATIONS: This study has several limitations, including a small sample size, reliance on a single veterinarian, and use of only two Reddit-derived scenarios. Response accuracy was not assessed, and word count restrictions may have affected perceived response quality. Additionally, prior research suggests that irrelevant patient details can impact ChatGPT's accuracy, raising questions about user trust if clinical inaccuracies were present.

CONCLUSION

AI-generated responses received higher participant ratings in structure, quality and empathy, suggesting AI may enhance veterinary client communication when used under appropriate professional supervision.