Question
What are some future concerns with the evolution of AI?
Answer
I have some existential worries about whether there could be a possibility of, an advanced AI, especially with access to the internet or other forms of communication. How there could potentially be a misalignment, a hijacking if you will, of AI. Some scholars are really concerned about that. Others think that that is blown out of proportion.
On a smaller scale, I would say that I am concerned about people using it in unethical ways, students using it to shortcut critical learning and knowledge that they will need to be effective social workers in the field, and taking the easy way out, even though that is not what ultimately serves clients the best. Or there being issues related to confidentiality or misinformation. So, I think on a smaller scale, I would say my future concern is primarily people misusing it.
However, I think with the right training and education and critical thought, we can mitigate some of those concerns.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the webinar, The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Best Practices for Social Work Education, presented by Karen Magruder, MSW, LCSW-S
