Social work in the digital age: Towards adopting artificial intelligence in social work

2025/11/04 by Thommy Sebatana Molala
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Digital Mental Health Interventions #Mental Health via Writing #Social Work Education and Practice

paper · doi:10.1177/00208728251383134

crossref issued 2025/11/04 · crossref published 2025/11/04 · crossref published-online 2025/11/04 · openalex created_date 2025/11/04 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/04 · crossref created 2025/11/04 · crossref published-print 2026/07/01 · crossref deposited 2026/07/31 · crossref indexed 2026/07/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the key Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies which is taking over in various facets of life. However, although it has permeated various fields and professions, there has been a paucity of research aimed at investigating the potential use of AI in social work. This qualitative study sought to explore the potential role of AI in social work, using explorative and descriptive designs. Data from social workers and social work academics were collected through semi-structured in-person and virtual interviews. This study has found that AI can play an enduring role in social work.

Citations

• Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology
• A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies
• Chatbots and Conversational Agents in Mental Health: A Review of the Psychiatric Landscape
• One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?

Related

• Navigating AI in Social Work and Beyond: A Multidisciplinary Review
• Reimagining AI in Social Work: Practitioner Perspectives on Incorporating Technology in their Practice
• The Adoption of Generative AI by Social Workers in Practice: A Scoping Review
• Social Work Educators Innovating With Generative AI: An Exploratory Study
• Confronting and managing ethical dilemmas in social work using ChatGPT