AI, Social Work, and Our Shared Future: A BASW UK Perspective

As Chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW UK), I’ve had the privilege of representing our profession at a number of recent events focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence in social care and social work. What’s clear from these events is that AI is no longer a distant concept—it’s here, and it’s reshaping how we think about care, ethics, rights, and the role of social work itself.

From the West Midlands to Oxford to the Isle of Wight, each event has reflected the pace of change and the growing urgency of engaging with this agenda. In February, the West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services hosted a powerful event titled “How AI is Changing Social Care for the Better?” The region is showing bold leadership in exploring how AI can be used to enhance—not replace—human care. I opened the session with a short reading as requested from my new novel The Laughing Robot, which offers a speculative lens on care and technology, and then stepped into my role as BASW Chair to support a robust and inclusive discussion.

What made this event stand out was the diversity of voices: people who use services, social workers, care providers, and technology developers. It reflected what we at BASW believe is critical—open conversation and co-design with those who live and work in the systems we are trying to improve together

Later in March, BASW UK launched its new Statement on Social Work and Generative Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford’s AI and Social Care Symposium. The statement, now available on our website, is a living document, shaped by the views of members across all four nations. It reflects both the concerns and the opportunities raised by social workers and stakeholders and lays out our ethical position: that the use of AI in social work must support—and never undermine—human rights, choice, dignity, equality, and wellbeing.

The questions raised at the symposium were far from abstract. When should we call something AI? What happens when machines begin to perform tasks once considered uniquely human—like providing care, offering support, or making decisions? These aren’t simply technical issues; they go to the heart of social work ethics and values. 

The third event was the April Isle of Wight Directors Briefing for Adult Social Care and Housing hosted by Laura Gaudian, the Director. This involved a large number of staff with wide ranging questions and comments on all aspects of their current work exploring forms of generative AI to ongoing discussions on what works and why. 

What does it all mean? Today’s definition may well evolve but for the time being AI includes: Generative AI: Producing text, images, and more; Machine Learning: Adapting through algorithms; Neural Networks: Inspired by the human brain; Large Language Models: Like the tool helping me write this blog and indeed robots.

These technologies are increasingly embedded in everyday life, even if some disappear as quickly as they emerge.

BASW is encouraged by the growing consensus that regulation, co-produced standards, and inclusive design must guide the development of AI in social care. BASW’s call to action urges governments, regulators, employers and practitioners to collaborate in shaping the future of AI, ensuring that it strengthens—not erodes—social justice. One key development must be the outstanding and hopefully imminent publication of National Standards by the Department of Health and Social Care. This has now become ever more urgent.

Another powerful question emerging from these conversations is whether the right to human interaction should itself be protected in law. Christian Kerr’s thoughtful piece in the March/April 2025 issue of Professional Social Work: In the AI Age, Is the Right to a Human a Human Right? argues that ethics alone aren’t enough. Article 4 of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights—ratified by the UK—requires that all AI activities uphold human rights. His central question is profound: should we enshrine a legal right to a human decision, not a machine one?

Perhaps it’s time to consider whether the right to human connection in care should be protected as fiercely as the right to shelter or safety?

BASW continues to engage deeply with these questions, bringing a social justice lens to this technological transformation. Throughout all these discussions, what has stood out most is the involvement of people who use services. Their insights have been central—not as an afterthought, but as co-creators of ideas and expectations for how technology should work in their lives. Their presence was a clear reminder that innovation must always serve humanity, not the other way around. BASW’s role is to address them in practice and policy. We’re proud to be leading this work on behalf of members across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

This conversation is just beginning. As AI continues to develop, BASW will listen, lead, and challenge—keeping people, rights, and ethics at the centre of everything we do.