AI, critical thinking and professional judgement in family justice

Dr Fern Gillon, University of Glasgow

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini, is increasingly being adopted across professional domains, including social work, health, education and legal services. While discussion has focused on whether such tools enhance efficiency and offset administrative burden or generate new concerns, less attention has been paid to how AI may affect professional reasoning itself. This article draws on findings from an exploratory study examining Scottish justice social workers’ interactions with ChatGPT during risk assessment exercises and considers the implications for family justice practice in England and Wales. It argues that a critical question for family law professionals is whether and how AI influences professional reasoning and judgement, and to what effect. The article explores opportunities for supporting professional curiosity, critical thinking and information management, alongside risks relating to cognitive offloading, automation bias, algorithmic discrimination and confidentiality. It concludes that AI may augment professional judgement when used critically and ethically, but that robust governance, training and professional oversight are essential if its benefits are to be realised without compromising the quality of decision-making in family justice.