TRANSPARENCY & EDUCATIONAL INTEGRITY
Our Approach to Artificial Intelligence
Technology expands what we can create. Expertise determines what we teach.
At Thomson Veterinary Education, artificial intelligence supports the development of engaging, accessible learning experiences. It does not replace the clinical expertise, scientific evidence, or professional accountability behind our educational content.
HUMAN EXPERTISE, ENHANCED BY TECHNOLOGY
AI as a Tool, Not a Substitute for Expertise
Thomson Veterinary Education was founded on the belief that better education leads to safer veterinary anesthesia.
Our educational resources are developed under the direction of Dr. Alexander Thomson, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist and educator. The clinical principles, learning objectives, and instructional approach reflect specialized professional expertise, years of experience, and established scientific evidence.
Artificial intelligence helps translate that clinical expertise into practical educational experiences. It can accelerate development, support creative problem-solving, and make sophisticated educational technology more accessible to independent educators.
However, AI is not a clinical authority. It does not replace professional judgment, critical evaluation, or responsibility for the information we publish.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
How We Use AI
AI supports the development and delivery of our educational resources in several ways.
Educational Content
Every lesson begins with original educational content written by Dr. Alexander Thomson, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist. While AI assists with editing, refining, and organizing this material to improve clarity, consistency, and the learning experience, none of the underlying educational content is AI-generated.
Interactive Simulations
Our interactive simulators are designed around physiological, pharmacological, and clinical concepts defined by Dr. Thomson. AI assists with programming and development, allowing complex educational ideas to become interactive learning experiences without replacing expert oversight.
Audio & Multimedia
Much of our visual educational content is created by professional graphic designers, illustrators, and animators. AI-assisted tools complement their work by supporting voiceover generation, multimedia production, and other creative processes. All clinical explanations and instructional materials are authored by Dr. Thomson, with AI supporting their presentation and production.
Learning Technology
AI assists indirectly with the development and maintenance of our online learning platform, including the Hospital Hub, learner reflection tools, and administrative features. AI agents do not have direct access to our website or its administrative systems. Instead, AI supports software development, coding, troubleshooting, and administrative workflows, with implementation and operational control remaining under human supervision.
An important distinction: Although AI assists with the development of our interactive simulators and learning technology, these tools are not generative AI systems. Their educational content and programmed behaviors are designed to demonstrate specific physiological, pharmacological, and clinical concepts, with the underlying relationships and simulator behaviors defined by Dr. Thomson. Learners can interactively explore and visualize how different variables influence these relationships.
OUR STANDARDS
Our Commitment to Educational Integrity
Technology can enhance the learning experience, but educational quality depends on the expertise, evidence, and professional judgment behind it.
Expertise Comes First
Clinical content and learning objectives originate from Dr. Thomson’s professional expertise and are informed by established scientific evidence. AI is not treated as an independent clinical authority.
Technology Serves Learning
AI-assisted tools are used where they can improve clarity, interactivity, accessibility, or efficiency. Educational decisions are guided by learning objectives, not by the capabilities of the technology itself.
Accountability Remains Human
Dr. Thomson retains responsibility for the clinical accuracy, instructional quality, and appropriateness of TVE’s educational materials. AI-assisted outputs are critically evaluated before incorporation into published resources.
RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION
Environmental Responsibility
Artificial intelligence requires electricity, computing infrastructure, and water for cooling. We recognize these environmental impacts and believe they deserve careful consideration.
At the same time, resource consumption varies substantially depending on the technology, workload, and infrastructure involved. We believe meaningful environmental assessments should consider both the resources consumed and the educational value created.
kWh of electricity
Preliminary estimate of AI-assisted development
Liters of cooling water
Illustrative direct cooling-water estimate
PUTTING THE NUMBERS INTO PERSPECTIVE
Of typical veterinary clinic electricity usage
Our preliminary estimate of 30–150 kWh for AI-assisted educational development is comparable to approximately 5–26 hours of electricity consumption at a typical veterinary clinic using 50,000 kWh annually. Actual consumption varies between veterinary facilities.
Equivalent water volume
Our estimated 30–225 liters of direct cooling-water consumption is comparable in volume to approximately half a shower to three and a half typical eight-minute showers.
About these estimates: These figures represent preliminary modeling scenarios for the AI-assisted development of Anesthesia Essentials and its supporting educational tools, including writing, programming, voiceover generation, and multimedia production. They are based on assumed workloads and infrastructure characteristics rather than measured consumption. Actual usage may fall outside these ranges. The estimates exclude local computing, website hosting, learner access, hardware manufacturing, and water associated with electricity generation.
Our Commitment to Responsible Use
At Thomson Veterinary Education, AI is used purposefully, where it offers meaningful educational or practical benefits. We recognize that these technologies consume resources, and we aim to use them thoughtfully rather than indiscriminately.
While we support the responsible development and use of AI, we also recognize that meaningful reductions in its environmental footprint depend on improvements in data center efficiency, energy sourcing, water management, and transparency from technology providers. We support appropriate regulatory oversight and believe that AI developers and operators should be held to clear standards for safety, environmental stewardship, and accountability. These responsibilities should not fall solely on the individuals and organizations that use their technologies.
As our educational platform develops, we intend to revisit our environmental estimates, evaluate opportunities to reduce resource consumption, and continue supporting credible environmental initiatives.
Supporting Verified Climate Action
5 tonnes CO₂e
Gold Standard-certified carbon credits purchased and retired across five environmental projects.
Thomson Veterinary Education purchased and retired five Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs), representing five tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions reductions. This voluntary contribution supports climate mitigation projects and is separate from our preliminary estimates of AI-related resource consumption. It does not constitute a claim that Thomson Veterinary Education or Anesthesia Essentials is carbon neutral.
Our contribution is distributed across five Gold Standard-certified projects, with one tonne of carbon credits purchased from each:
Cambodia: National Biodigester Programme
Zambia: Improved Cookstoves for Rural Zambia
Uganda: Safe Water Systems for Rural Uganda
Kenya: Efficient and Clean Cooking Stoves for Households
Romania: Aluminum Recycling and Emissions Reduction
OUR PERSPECTIVE
Technology Should Amplify Expertise, Not Replace It.
Artificial intelligence has made it possible to develop educational experiences that would once have required substantial technical resources. But technology alone does not make education valuable. The value comes from the expertise behind it, the evidence that informs it, and the care taken to translate knowledge into meaningful learning.
