How is artificial intelligence changing social work?

How is artificial intelligence changing social work? This question was the focus of the "Practice Guidance Day" at RWU. In her presentation "Artificial intelligence in social work", Anna Maria Schmid spoke about the opportunities and limitations of AI and the results of her doctoral thesis on the subject.

Child protection and AI

The research assistant from the Faculty of Social Work, Health and Care reported that AI in social services in Germany is currently mainly used in pilot projects and at an administrative level. Internationally, this is already the case across the board. On the topic of child protection and AI, she spoke about the discussion of either predicting risks based on data or having them professionally assessed by humans.

"Artificial intelligence is not a replacement for specialists, but rather a complementary support for certain decision-making steps," said Schmid. The machine can provide data-based forecasts, but the sensitive understanding of the case remains an exclusively human competence.

Practical dialog in open space

To connect theory with practice, Anna Maria Schmid and Prof. Dr. Jörg Wendorff designed an interactive "Open Space". Practical instructors and students collected potentials and risks of AI in the social sector. An accompanying survey revealed the areas in which the participants see the greatest potential for relief: documentation and organization. They also expressed criticism with regard to data protection and algorithms. These should not be trusted blindly.

The subsequent discussion showed that the participants would like to see clear guidelines and framework conditions for the use of AI from their employers and the university. The outcome of the event was clear: AI will change social work. Personal relationships and responsibility towards people will nevertheless remain indispensable.