Human contact will not be replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assess service users, a Powys Social Services chief has stressed.

But councillors have raised fears that using AI could lead to cuts in the department and lower the quality of meeting reports.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Health and Care Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, November 11, councillors received an update on the transformation work being carried out within Adult Social Services.

The presentation mentioned that Powys is part of a Social Care Wales pilot scheme, alongside Pembrokeshire Council, using AI-assisted Beam Notes when service users are interviewed.

Committee chairwoman, Cllr Amanda Jenner (Conservative – Trewern and Trelystan), said: “On the tech side of things, on AI for social workers, you made reference to Beam Notes and the Pembrokeshire pilot. How do you measure the impact of that?

“How is it audited for quality to make sure that those things are accurately capturing someone’s emotional circumstances or tone, or things that are not so tangible to pick up if it’s just a recording?”

She explained that if a social worker is making notes of a meeting with a service user, reference could be made to the person’s body language during the conversation.

Head of Adult Services Ms Frewin answered: “It doesn’t replace a social worker’s judgement. They are responsible for reviewing the note, amending it and adding the nuances around emotions, etc, and anything that has not been picked up in the transcript.

“We audit that through our case file audits.

“We have predicted next year that we would be in a position to release some capacity due to the reduction in administration from the use of AI, but this year we’re still analysing it.

“There is a lot of work we want to redirect officers’ time into doing in the transformation programme, which would release any efficiency in the workforce.”

Cllr Chloe Masefield (Liberal Democrat – Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower) said: “You mention releasing capacity; there is a risk if we lose those skills and then the owners of AI programmes increase their prices, we are then trapped and don’t have the skills to deliver the service.

“So, I would support a cautious approach.”

Ms Frewin stressed: “AI is an enabler. It doesn’t replace the human contact. We’re a human service, we work with people and it won’t replace us.

“It allows us to do the important things better.”

Cllr Jenner asked what would happen if the use of AI notes was reducing the quality of reports based on visits.

Cllr Jenner said: “I’m a bit concerned that people are going to become overly reliant on AI, which will lose the real-life side of things and also lose things from a learning perspective.”

Ms Frewin said: “That’s why we’re working with Social Care Wales and Pembrokeshire in the pilot to understand what we can learn from the notes. Are there themes from the transcripts that we’re not picking up?

“For reassurance, individuals are telling us that they are able to have more detailed, freer and more natural conversations. The richness of that conversation is enhanced without being dependent on filling in a form or remembering to ask the right question.”

The report was noted by the committee.