2023 Conference Objects and Presentations (Communicative Events)

ChatGPT: Implications for social work education and practice

Marquart, Matthea S.; Goldkind, Lauri

These are the slides from a session for the National Association of Social Workers NYC Chapter, for Social Work Month 2023. Session description: ChatGPT has been in the headlines for its ability to write jokes, poetry, and prose -- in seconds and for free. Educators have seen that it can write realistic student papers, including citations and personal anecdotes. Professionals have seen that it can generate realistic work-related writing such as marketing materials and user instructions. What are the implications for social workers? In this interactive online event, we invite social workers to learn about chatbots in mental health and human services, and discuss our experiences, concerns, and points of excitement. Participants will have the opportunity to share perspectives, and will leave with new ideas from peers and a reading list to learn more about the potential impacts on social work education and the social work profession. One of the social work profession’s grand challenges is to harness technology for social good, and one of the profession’s ethical values is integrity. This event will help social workers consider the ethical implications of the relatively new technology of free chatbots that can write human-like copy.

Keywords: ChatGPT, chatbot, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Social Work, #SWTech, #SWMonth2023, NASW-NYC, National Association of Social Workers