AI Is Not Neutral: Ensuring Ethical Clinical Judgment in Social Work Practice
Artificial intelligence increasingly influences documentation, assessment, treatment planning, supervision, administration, and the mental health information clients encounter online. Yet AI-generated material is not neutral; it may reproduce biases, omissions, and inequities embedded within its data and design. This interactive ethics workshop examines confidentiality, informed consent, professional competence, automation bias, documentation integrity, client self-determination, and accountability across social work settings.
Particular attention is given to racial and cultural bias and the impact of technology-mediated decisions on historically marginalized communities. Through live polling, culturally responsive cases, collaborative documentation review, and the presenter-developed Cannon ACCOUNT Ethical Decision-Making Framework(TM), participants will practice identifying unsupported assumptions, missing context, and threats to client voice. Participants will leave with practical safeguards for using AI without surrendering professional judgment, compromising confidentiality, or avoiding accountability for technology-assisted decisions.
