The Impact of AI Chatbots on Social Work Counseling in Sri Lanka: Benefits and Risks

Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots in social work counseling practices is changing traditional counseling approaches by providing various benefits and challenges. This study examines the advantages and disadvantages of AI chatbots in social work counseling through a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data was collected from fifty final year counseling students, while qualitative data was collected from five professional counselors through interviews. An analysis of qualitative data revealed the main themes as efficiency, availability, ethical issues, and emotional context in AI counseling. The quantitative results suggest that AI chatbots improve the accessibility of mental health services, but privacy concerns, absence of compassion, and ethical issues are still present. This study emphasizes the need to mitigate the effects of AI by incorporating more human-centered approaches if counseling is to remain ethical and effective. Future research should look into the consequences of AI chatbots on counselors and clients alongside developing ethical parameters on the usage of technology in social work.