Applications of AI in human services have immediate consequences for the life trajectories of individuals and families. Often, AI here takes the form of classification or prediction algorithms which use human service system-derived a priori information to estimate the risk profile of incoming clients.  These types of AI applications—heavily reliant on historical data—often overlook a fundamental aspect of human service: the system is designed to intervene in people’s lives by providing resources that can alter their future, typically within relationships that are not fully voluntary on the part of the client. For example, three-fourths of the population who had contact with the child welfare system in 2023 did so because a professional reported a concern about them and/or their child(ren). As a result, many of the families who enter the child welfare system do not know they are about to enter - and potentially do not want to be there (though it may help them if they are). In this talk, Dr. Rodriguez will chronicle her work on the technical and societal aspects of AI in human service systems. She will argue that AI applications in human service systems suffer from two challenges:

1. Current AI tools in human services do not acknowledge the system already has a method for prioritizing information for decision-making: mandated reporting by care professionals
2. The most complex aspect of human services is not classification or prediction, but relationship-building—specifically, between caseworkers and clients

The talk will conclude with an overview of Dr. Rodriguez’s current research, which seeks to reorient AI applications in human services toward fostering high-value, outcome-driven relationships between clients and caseworkers.

Maria Y. Rodriguez, MSW, PhD’s work sits at the intersection of applied demography, computational social science, and social policy. Dr. Rodriguez’ work explores systems of care across technology and human services. From offline child welfare systems to online social media platforms, her work examines the systems we build to care for marginalized groups, particularly how we make decisions about whom those groups are. Based on a central tenet of ethical social work practice, the aim of Dr. Rodriguez’ work is to support the reorientation of systems towards working best for outlier cases. In her work, Dr. Rodriguez explores if and how the values and ideals that define AI augmented systems can come from the lived experience of the system involved.