Foundation of AI Ethics for Social Workers

This training is designed for social workers across all practice settings including but not limited to clinical, macro, administrative, school-based, healthcare, and community as well as social work students and trainees. No prior AI experience is required. This is the first part of a series of 3 training intended to build foundational understanding before moving into ethical application, so it is appropriate whether you've never touched an AI tool or already use one regularly.

This two-hour foundational session establishes the shared vocabulary and ethical reasoning framework necessary for social workers in a world where AI is already showing up in practice. Participants will define core AI terminology in plain language, distinguish among the categories of AI systems relevant to social work practice (documentation tools, predictive analytics, decision-support systems, generative AI), and examine how a tool can be statistically accurate while still producing unjust outcomes illustrated through a documented case of algorithmic bias in healthcare resource allocation. The session anchors this material in the NASW Code of Ethics core values and situates it alongside complementary frameworks from NIST, WHO, and UNESCO, and more since NASW has not yet issued AI-specific ethical standards. Rather than teaching participants to operate particular software, the goal is a transferable reasoning process that applies as well to tools that don't exist yet as to the ones already in use. The session is designed for the full range of AI familiarity, from those with no prior exposure to early adopters, and requires no technical background. Participants leave with a plain-language vocabulary reference and a brief screening framework for evaluating new AI tools in their own settings. For detailed information to include the agenda and speaker bio, visit our program landing page here: Foundation of AI Ethics for Social Workers