Den digitala revolutionen: Svenska socialarbetares attityder till användningen av AI inom Socialtjänsten

Sammanfattning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining an increasingly prominent role within social services, raising questions about how the technology affects client-oriented social work and professionals' attitudes. This study aimed to examine social workers' attitudes towards the use of AI in client-oriented practice and to analyse how these attitudes relate to digital competence, organisational support, and ethical concerns. The study adopts a quantitative research design and is based on a survey conducted among social workers within municipal services in Helsingborg, Sweden. The theoretical framework is grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and selected components of the EPIC model. The data was analysed by using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The results of the study indicated that attitudes toward AI are generally neutral but characterized by a clear ambivalence. Perceived digital competence shows a strong positive relationship with attitudes toward AI, while ethical concerns demonstrate a strong negative relationship. No statistically significant relationship was found between organizational support and attitudes toward AI. TAM emerges as a crucial framework, exerting a positive influence on social workers’ attitudes toward the use of AI. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the majority of respondents perceive the application of AI as having a positive impact on their professional practice. The study highlights the importance of digital competence and ethical clarity for the sustainable and professionally grounded implementation of AI within social services.