UB study looks at the current state of ethically balancing AI and social work

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Much like the automobile a century earlier, generative artificial intelligence has arrived in society with significant concerns. Just as cities and towns learned that cars required limits governing their use and development, many disciplines affected by AI are similarly asking what rules should be applied to machines designed to mimic human intelligence.

These considerations are amplified in human-driven professions, like social work. While the changes to AI technology are happening quickly, guidance from professional bodies in social work, like the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), have been slower to respond – this fact is highlighted in the results of a new paper by researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

“AI is not going away,” says Katie McClain-Meeder, a clinical associate professor in the university’s School of Social Work, and an expert in trauma-informed educational practices. “We need a sense for the current state of AI in both clinical and academic social work settings.”

McClain-Meeder is the corresponding author of a group of faculty members in the School of Social Work that includes Alexander Rubin and Michael Lynch. Their study looks at how AI is being utilized in social work practice and how this technology might help social work students prepare for their careers.

“As a school and as a profession, social work educators and social work practitioners know that effectively and ethically using AI will require careful and thoughtful integration,” she says.

The paper surveyed 103 social workers with advanced degrees to assess the risks and opportunities presented by AI’s presence in social work practice and education. Findings appear in the July issue of the Journal of Technology in Human Services.

“The vast majority of our respondents said that their employer or agency was providing little guidance and had few policies in place on how to use AI,” says Lynch, clinical associate professor of social work who works with the school’s Office of Practicum Education to place UB students with relevant agencies. “This is parallel to what we’re seeing in academia, where students are craving consistent guidelines and policies across all of their classes on how to ethically apply AI to their work.”

For practicing social workers, the results suggest that some found AI helped generate new ideas and allowed clinicians to see more patients. Other clinicians expressed concern about ethical issues, confidentiality and chatbots replacing clinicians.

Social workers have a clear set of ethical principles established by the NASW. The same applies to education, where the responsibility falls to the CSWE.

The authors say their research indicates an opportunity for governing bodies to issue more guidance on AI use, with McClain-Meeder adding, “People are using it and thinking about it, but they’re having a hard time determining how it aligns with established guidelines.”

The authors expect change as AI is further integrated across human services and social work. Their research is the first step in a three-year project that looks next at AI use from an international perspective.

Rubin, a clinical assistant professor of social work, has led the formation of a partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, to address these issues.

“There are fierce critics calling for blanket polices that avoid AI in human services, but social workers deal with reality,” say Rubin. “It will take time to figure out the best role for AI, but good things come out of difficult conversations.

“That’s why we want to keep speaking regularly with educators and practitioners.”