Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Social Work
These projects explore how applied artificial intelligence (AI) and data science can ethically advance child and family wellbeing research. Topics include the use of various machine learning methods with child- and family-centered datasets, ethical implications of AI in social work research, and the design of AI-informed multisystem interventions to serve children and families. Relevant publications and presentations in this area include:
- Lee, J. Y., Pace, G. T., Park, K., Cha, H., Chang, Y., & Xu, A. (2026). Most important predictors of father-child contact in the U.S. child welfare system: A machine learning approach. Child Abuse & Neglect (Special Issue on “Methodological advances in the study of child maltreatment, child welfare, and child well-being outcomes”), 172, 107870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107870 (*3.400)
- Lee, J. Y., Pace, G. T., *Cha, H., Rao, S., Hahm, H. C., An, R., & Denby-Brinson, R. (2026). Commentary: ETHICS--An Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Social Work Research. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research (Special Series on “Artificial Intelligence & Social Work”). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1086/739116 (*2.000)
- Lee, J. Y., Ahn, E., Xu, A., Yang, Y., Chang, Y., Cha, H., & Ammari, T. (2024). Artificial intelligence in applied family research involving families with young children: A scoping review. Family Relations. (*1.700). https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13090
- Pace, G. T., Lee, J. Y., Ward, K. P., & Chang, O. D. (2025). Exploring father-adolescent closeness: A random forest approach. Family Relations (Special Issue on “Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Family Life”) (*1.700), 74(3), 1216-1232. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13168
- Ammari, T., Ahn, E., Lakhankar, A., & Lee, J. Y. (2025). Finding understanding and support: Navigating online communities to share and connect at the intersection of abuse and foster care experiences. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) (*2.000), 9(2), Article CSCW087. https://doi.org/10.1145/3710985
- Lee, J. Y. (2026, January). ETHICS--An Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Social Work Research. Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.
- Yoo, N., An, R., Israel, K., Lee, J. Y., Zeng, Y., & Zhang, L. (2026, January). Navigating the intersection of data science and social work research: Perspectives from early to senior career researchers. Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.
- Lee, J. Y., Cha, H., Xu, A., & Chang, Y. (2025, July). Artificial intelligence in applied family research involving families with young children: A scoping review. International Population Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
- Lee, J. Y. (2025, January). Applying artificial intelligence in collaborative research to solve Grand Challenges for Social Work. Society for Social Work and Research, Seattle, WA.
