UConn School of Social Work Hosted Artificial Intelligence Symposium

Co-hosted by the UConn School of Social Work and School of Law on November 6, the symposium addressed the impacts of artificial intelligence on social services, behavioral health care, and disadvantaged groups with more than 125 in-person and 398 virtual participants.

The half-day event titled "Social Work in the Age of AI: Examining Research, Practice, and Policy," organized by the UConn School of Social Work, brought together researchers, practitioners, civil society leaders, and policy experts. The symposium discussed how artificial intelligence can strengthen community services and how risks can be prevented.

Charlotte Warren, a former member of the Maine House of Representatives and a social worker, drew attention to the potential risks of artificial intelligence on social service recipients following funding announcements. Warren and other advocates in Maine stated that they have begun working to establish legal safeguards for artificial intelligence in behavioral health care.

Professor Meredith Broussard from New York University emphasized in her keynote speech that computers cannot replace human expertise and that algorithms will not always provide the correct solution. During the Research, Community Practice, and Policy panels, data security, bias, environmental impacts, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence were discussed in detail.