Problematising Artificial Intelligence in Social Work Education: Challenges, Issues and Possibilities

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the fourth industrial revolution, and in higher education it will fundamentally transform the work of academics and higher education administrators. AI will also have several implications for students, including a reconsideration of what sorts of skills and knowledge should be taught and developed in the academy to prepare students for digital working lives. As social work educators, we have begun to wonder what the implications of AI in the academy will have for social work education. For educators, there are implications for pedagogy that go well beyond the introduction of new digital tools that merely integrate into existing teaching models and practices. This is because AI will not simply add to existing teaching modes and practices, but will fundamentally transform teaching and learning. Drawing on recent literature and research into in AI and higher education, this article explores possible future implications for social work education. We identify the transformative and disruptive potential of AI in higher education, and consider how this intersects with the ethical and relational side of social work as a profession. Implications for social work education are canvassed Artificial intelligence (AI) is the fourth industrial revolution, and in higher education it will fundamentally transform the work of academics and higher education administrators. AI will mean a reconsideration of what sorts of skills and knowledge should be taught and developed in the academy to prepare students for digital working lives. The impact of AI in higher education will fundamentally transform teaching and learning, which will also have implications for social work practice. We identify the transformative and disruptive potential of AI in higher education, and consider how this intersects with the ethical and relational side of social work as a profession.