Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive at The Care Workers’ Charity, discusses the need for co-production in AI-driven social care to enhance quality, support workers, and strengthen human connections.
The world is changing rapidly, and social care is no exception. AI and digital transformation are hot topics in the sector, with technology companies eager to trial new products and engage with care workers about their experiences. It’s encouraging to see this level of consultation, but we must push beyond simple engagement and embrace co-production—ensuring that the people who draw on and provide care are actively involved in shaping technological advancements.
As part of the Oxford University and Digital Social Care project on AI in social care, we helped facilitate care worker engagement in drafting some of the first guidance on the pral use of AI in social care. More recently, we have participated in co-production workshops with other participants and will soon be taking a group of care workers to an AI Summit, where their voices will help shape a collective statement.
Additionally, we sit on the Charity AI Taskforce, convened by CAST and Zoe Amar Digital, which aims to champion the responsible, inclusive, and collaborative use of AI across the social sector. Whether in social care or the charity sector, common themes are emerging: digital change is inevitable, but it must enhance, not diminish, the human relationships at the heart of our work.
Technology in care must be developed with and for those it will impact—not just tested on them once it’s already built. End-users, including care workers and people drawing on care, should be involved from the very beginning of the design process. AI and digital tools should not be about making care cheaper but about making it better. While efficiency gains may be a positive side effect, the primary focus must be improving care quality in a sector that is already underfunded and overstretched.
A significant barrier to digital adoption is mistrust. Many fear that AI will exacerbate existing inequalities, leaving people at the mercy of a system where a computer simply says “no” instead of allowing them to advocate for their needs. Rather than dismissing these concerns, we need to change the conversation:
- How can AI and technology be used to enhance the care workforce, enabling care workers to spend more time on the relational aspects of their roles?
- How can the people drawing on care be at the heart of designing technology that meets their needs and improves their lives?
- How can the benefits of digital transformation be fairly shared, i.e. can care workers be paid more for fewer hours, rather than being burdened with unrealistic expectations?
- What advancements in care and support can be unlocked through ethical and transparent data sharing?
The possibilities are exciting! AI and digital tools should not replace human connection but enhance it, enabling a stronger, more sustainable care sector. True transformation will come not just from technology itself, but from the way we involve care workers and those drawing on care in its development.
If we get this right, digital transformation could be the key to a more equitable, compassionate, and effective social care system. Now is the time to ensure that change is led by the voices of those who will be most affected by it.
