Generative AI & Social Work Practice Guidance

Initial guidance for practice and ethics.

Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly in use in social work practice. This short guidance aims to offer some points of reflection for current and future social workers around the use of generative AI in their practice and relate these to ethical considerations raised by the interaction of the use of GenAI with the BASW Code of Ethics.

The development and deployment of GenAI is moving at speed. BASW therefore offers this as initial guidance. We welcome feedback as to whether this guidance is helpful, how it can be improved, as well as any experiences that you have had in using GenAI in your practice. You can share these with us via this form.

This guidance uses a range of examples. Use of an example does not represent endorsement of a specific product.