The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within social care is becoming more commonplace. The challenges and opportunities that this presents were highlighted during a panel discussion at the recent Think AI for Government event.
The experts in attendance (pictured) agreed that key to navigating AI within social care is understanding that frontline professionals are using it not a replacement for human expertise, but as a tool to enhance their critical work.
“Social workers didn’t come into the service to sit on computers,” said Shelley Bowyer, AI lead for education and social care at Buckinghamshire Council. “They came to help families and children. They need something that is easy to use to help them with their job.”
This sentiment captures the core challenge of AI adoption: creating technology that genuinely supports, rather than complicates, frontline work.
Key challenges in AI adoption
However, AI accuracy has emerged as a critical concern. Bowyer shared a pilot project experience where an AI tool’s hallucinations generating inaccurate information quickly eroded user trust. “We lost people because the tool was not ready,” she explained. “It was giving completely incorrect interpretations of transcripts.”
Digital literacy presents another significant hurdle. Josh Wilson, strategic IT business partner at Oxfordshire County Council, advocated for a measured, user-centered approach to the tools. “Spending five minutes showing specific, real-world use cases can make a huge difference in adoption,” he said.
Sandeep Sahota, head of business management, Children Services, at Ealing Council, stressed the importance of carefully defining the precise challenges AI will address. “Don’t just throw five different solutions at social workers. Really spend time understanding what you’re trying to solve.”
The technology must also be intuitive. “If it’s not easy to use, social workers simply won’t engage with it,” said Bowyer.
Elsewhere, leadership must foster a culture of curiosity and safe exploration. Sahota described this as creating an environment “where we’re encouraged to be curious, but in a safe environment.”
Transformative potential of AI in social care
Despite challenges, AI offers remarkable potential for social care. Rachel Astall is chief customer officer at Beam, which has developed a tool called Magic Notes that allows social workers to generate detailed assessments in seconds. She explained how AI can simultaneously drive efficiency and enhance human connection.
“AI can help us do both at once. We can have technology do the things we want technology to do, and have humans do the things we really want humans to do,” she said.
The landscape of AI in social care is rapidly evolving. As such, Bowyer highlighted the need for continuous improvement: “The AI we have now is not what it will be. We should be continually striving to improve our processes,” she said.
Wilson also suggested that future hiring practices might need to evolve, focusing on professionals who can adapt to technological changes and maintain the core empathetic mission of social care.
The panel concluded that AI in social care is not about replacing human professionals but empowering them. Said Sahota: “Tech is an enabler to support them doing their job.”
