Harnessing artificial intelligence for enhanced veterinary diagnostics: A look to quality assurance, Part II External validation.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a valuable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine, offering affordable and accessible tests that can match or even exceed the performance of medical professionals in similar tasks. Despite the promising outcomes of using AI systems (AIS) as highly accurate diagnostic tools, the field of quality assurance in AIS is still in its early stages. Our Part I manuscript focused on the development and technical validation of an AIS. In Part II, we explore the next step in development: external validation (i.e., in silico testing). This phase is a critical quality assurance component for any AIS intended for medical use, ensuring that high-quality diagnostics remain the standard in veterinary medicine. The quality assurance process for evaluating an AIS involves rigorous: (1) investigation of sources of bias, (2) application of calibration methods and prediction of uncertainty, (3) implementation of safety monitoring systems, and (4) assessment of repeatability and robustness. Testing with unseen data is an essential part of in silico testing, as it ensures the accuracy and precision of the AIS output.