Predictive AI in children’s social care: why we should pause before we proceed

Baljinder Bath, Family law barrister, 4PB

In this article, Baljinder Bath, family law barrister at 4PB, evaluates the Government's approach to supporting local authorities in their use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies in children's social care.

The article is set against the backdrop of the Department of Education’s recent Call for Evidence on “AI and other digital technology in children’s social care”, which seeks to better understand how local authorities and other professionals working in children's social care can effectively implement new technologies, while addressing the risks they pose.

Cautioning against the uncritical acceptance of predictive AI tools, Baljinder argues that legislators must introduce more sufficiently robust legal, evaluative, and procedural safeguards governing these technologies. She warns that, although such tools may appear seductive because of their promise to reduce administrative burdens and their potential to be a force for good, they could cause "significant and often irreversible damage", particularly to marginalised groups, if not designed or deployed with adequate care.