In this blog, our Digital Innovation Manager Felicity McGeown explores how social care workers can make the most of AI while keeping people at the centre of their work.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can feel like it’s everywhere these days. From personalised recommendations on streaming platforms to tools that help us write emails and summarise reports, AI is fast becoming part of everyday life for many.
But with all the news headlines, hype and concerns surrounding AI, it can be difficult to know what it actually is, what it can do, and whether we should be using it in social care.
At its simplest, AI is technology that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. It can help us understand and generate language, identify patterns, summarise information, answer questions and even create content such as text and images.
However, AI is a tool which can support people in their work. It isn't intended to replace their professional judgement.
While some AI tools can feel human-like, they don’t think, feel or understand context in the way people do. Instead, they identify patterns in information and use those patterns to generate responses.
This means AI can be useful for some tasks, but it can’t understand every aspect of a person’s unique circumstances, build trusted relationships or make ethical decisions. It can also generate inaccurate information, so its outputs should always be reviewed and checked.
In social care, many decisions are influenced by experience, empathy and human connection. These are qualities AI can’t replicate, and the responsibility for these decisions remains with the people making them.
For many people working in social care, the most valuable benefits of AI are often the practical, everyday applications. When used appropriately, it can help reduce the burden of administrative tasks and free up more time to focus on the people they support.
However, it’s important to ensure that any AI tool that you use is approved for use in your workplace. If in doubt, check with your IT team.
AI is probably already part of your day
One of the reasons AI can feel so unfamiliar is that it’s often described as a new and emerging technology. In reality, many people are already using systems that contain AI in some form, often without realising it.
For example, search engines use AI to understand what you’re looking for, email systems use it to filter spam and suggest responses, and video streaming services use it to recommend shows and movies for you to watch based on your history.
What’s changed is that AI has become more visible. People are now interacting more directly with AI through chatbots, or seeing AI summaries when using search engines.
In social care, many aspects of practice rely on human interaction, empathy and professional judgement. These are at the heart of good social care. At the same time, AI can help with some of the tasks that sit around day-to-day practice by reducing administrative burden. Put simply, it can help workers spend less time on paperwork and more time supporting people.
For example, AI can help to:
- reduce administrative burden and paperwork
- summarise lengthy documents and reports
- draft emails, meeting notes and other communications
- find and organise information quickly
- support accessibility and communication
- identify patterns in large volumes of data.
AI is a tool, not a replacement
It can be useful to think about AI in the same way you think about other workplace tools. A calculator can help a person solve calculations more quickly, but it doesn’t replace their understanding of mathematics. People still need to use their knowledge and judgement to make sure they’re using it correctly and interpreting the results appropriately.
Similarly, a GPS-enabled app may suggest directions when you’re walking in an unfamiliar place. But you remain responsible for deciding if the directions are practical to follow. If it suggests you walk down a path that is closed or unsafe, you’d need to use your judgement rather than just simply trusting the suggested directions.
AI works in a similar way. It can help with tasks such as drafting, summarising or organising information, but it can’t take responsibility for decisions or understand complex human circumstances.
So, while AI can support some aspects of work, the responsibility for reviewing, interpreting and using any output remains firmly with the person using the AI tool. Keeping that balance in mind is an important part of using AI effectively, safely and responsibly in social care.
Find out more
Use our AI guide for social care in Wales to explore different ways of using AI to support your work.
