Technology, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Responsible Pet Care

Artificial intelligence has moved beyond experimentation. Across healthcare, finance, logistics and consumer services, AI is now embedded in decision-making, diagnostics and personalisation at scale. For investors, family offices and institutions, AI is no longer a niche technology — it is a foundational layer shaping the next generation of products and services.

Global wealth and investment reports consistently highlight artificial intelligence as a core long-term theme. Institutions such as UBS, among others, point to AI’s role in improving outcomes, efficiency and insight across complex systems. What is less discussed publicly, but increasingly evident, is how these same capabilities are beginning to influence the care and wellbeing of companion animals.

The global pet industry is already substantial. Independent market estimates place its value at over $250 billion, with continued growth driven by humanisation, premiumisation and rising expectations of care. Pet owners today — particularly at the premium end of the market — expect more than basic nutrition or reactive veterinary treatment. They expect insight, prevention and intelligent guidance.

This is where artificial intelligence becomes relevant.

From reactive care to predictive understanding

Traditional pet care is largely reactive. A symptom appears, a visit is booked, a treatment follows. AI changes that dynamic. Through pattern recognition, image analysis, behavioural tracking and data aggregation, intelligent systems can begin to identify changes earlier — sometimes before an owner would notice them unaided.

In human healthcare, these technologies are already widely used. In pet care, the opportunity remains comparatively underdeveloped, despite clear demand. Companion animals share many of the same challenges as humans: chronic conditions, age-related decline, behavioural stress and lifestyle-linked health risks. Yet the tools available to owners have historically lagged behind.

Responsible AI, applied correctly, helps close that gap.

The importance of responsibility in pet AI

It is essential to draw a distinction between innovation and overreach. Artificial intelligence in pet care must be supportive, not diagnostic; advisory, not prescriptive. Regulators, veterinarians and ethical frameworks all point to the same principle: AI should assist decision-making, not replace professional judgment.

This is where responsible brands differentiate themselves.

Rather than positioning AI as a substitute for veterinary care, the most credible platforms frame it as an early-warning and support system — helping owners understand patterns, track changes and seek professional input sooner, not later.

Where Spratt’s fits into this future

As the custodian of the world’s first pet brand, Spratt’s has a unique responsibility when engaging with modern technology. The brand’s current revival includes the development of intelligent platforms designed to support pet wellbeing through data, education and early insight — not to medicalise or commoditise care.

Initiatives such as Spratt’s HealthScan, Spratt’s Insights and Spratt’s GPT are being developed with a clear boundary: to inform, guide and empower owners, while respecting veterinary authority and ethical standards.

This approach reflects a broader truth recognised by serious investors: long-term value in AI does not come from novelty, but from trust, governance and real-world applicability.

Why this matters to investors and family offices

Family offices and long-term investors are increasingly selective about how AI is deployed. The focus is shifting toward applications that combine:

• Large addressable markets

• Ethical defensibility

• Regulatory awareness

• Brand trust and longevity

Companion animal care sits at a unique intersection of all four. Pets are emotionally significant, commercially meaningful and increasingly central to modern lifestyles. Yet the sector remains fragmented, with relatively few heritage brands approaching AI with restraint, credibility and long-term stewardship in mind.

The future of pet care is intelligent — and considered

Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a growing role in how pets are cared for, understood and supported. The question is not whether AI enters the pet industry, but how responsibly it is introduced.

Brands that combine data intelligence with heritage, trust and ethical restraint are best placed to lead that evolution. For those observing the sector — whether as pet owners, partners or investors — the signal to watch is not hype, but seriousness.

In that sense, AI in pet care mirrors AI everywhere else: the winners will not be the loudest entrants, but the most disciplined.