Are Welfare Advisers at Risk Due to AI?

All social workers not listed separately.

The occupation "Social Workers, All Other" (slug "social-workers-all-other") has an automation risk of 0.0%, meaning it is extremely unlikely to be automated in the foreseeable future. The base risk of 0.0% reflects the deeply interpersonal, human-centered nature of this profession. While social workers may use technology to assist in their daily responsibilities, the essence of their work—understanding individuals and communities, assessing unique needs, and providing tailored support—remains fundamentally reliant on human judgment and empathy. The diversity of specializations within social work also presents additional complexity, requiring emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and ethical decision-making that current AI systems cannot replicate or replace. As a result, these roles remain robust against automation. Despite its low automation risk, certain routine or administrative tasks within social work are more amenable to automation. The top three most automatable tasks include: (1) maintaining and updating client records and case files, (2) scheduling appointments and managing calendars, and (3) entering and processing data for reporting purposes. These tasks entail structured, rule-based activities that can be streamlined through simple software or AI-driven tools. Automating these administrative duties enables social workers to focus more time and energy on direct client interactions and holistic care, which machines cannot emulate. However, these automatable components represent only a minor fraction of the profession’s overall responsibilities. The tasks most resistant to automation are those that require advanced human attributes and contextual understanding. The top three most resistant tasks are: (1) building trust and therapeutic relationships with clients, (2) conducting in-depth assessments and developing individualized care plans, and (3) crisis intervention and ethical decision-making in highly sensitive situations. These core functions rely on bottleneck skills such as social perceptiveness (level: very high), empathy (level: extremely high), and complex problem-solving (level: high). Such abilities involve nuanced communication, interpretation of non-verbal cues, and moral reasoning—all areas where AI currently has significant limitations. Consequently, the reliance on these advanced human-centric skills secures the occupation’s future against automation.