Granted, technology is taking us new places every year, but hear us out– because we’ve got some concerns about adoption and AI.
Already, law firms, law schools and courtrooms are wrestling with questions about the use of artificial intelligence. Undoubtedly AI can help with faster research of case law, preparation of discovery, predictive analysis, and automation of repetitive tasks. But it also is raising concerns about legal ethics, billing issues and staff training. How many adoption attorneys are actually using AI in their practices is unclear? Yet as AI itself opines, “three jobs that will not be replaced by AI are… those that rely on deep human empathy, trust and safety, and nuanced judgement.”
We can’t speak for attorneys, but surely those who work (well) in adoption agencies have careers that require them to be truly caring, trustworthy and safe, and who exercise wise judgement skills. This doesn’t mean that some entrepreneurs won’t try to invent adoption programs that enable would-be birthparents or adopters to cut out adoption professionals to save money or give them more power over the adoption process… plenty have tried and continue to do so.
Yet the best adoptions must surely continue to entail professional guidance, emotional intelligence, the ability to understand social cues and cultural values, and appropriate use of human touch, tasks even the best-programmed AI cannot complete.
So here are a few of the other things that should not be left to technology, when it comes to adoption and AI…
Adoption Matching
There’s so much more that goes into creating a successful adoption match than just connecting someone who needs to place with somebody that wants to adopt. Not surprisingly, some enterpreneurs tried a few years ago to create an AI-powered “tool” to do adoption matching like a dating website, but thankfully, Family Match failed miserably (please note: that entity should not mistaken with the far more ethical AdoptMatch organization, a people-powered nonprofit with which Abrazo is proud to be affiliated.) The matching of parents in adoption plans is best left to trained professionals who are adept at assessment, counseling and casework.
Homestudies & Post-Placement Reports
Call us old-fashioned, but we think the interviews needed to complete safe and accurate homestudies and post-placement reports should always, only be done in person, by certified social workers and licensed adoption professionals. (Yes, we know an increasing number of shortcuts are being taken so that “visits” can be conducted via Zoom, but here at Abrazo, we do not believe that is best practice.) Likewise, we believe the reports that vouch for the suitability of an adoptive home before and after placement should be personally-composed by the worker themselves, not just drafted by AI. (That’s what you pay us to do, isn’t it?)
Adoption Profiles
We know we’re picking a fight here, but again, we believe the most meaningful (and truthful) adoption profiles are those that have been lovingly (and painstakingly) constructed entirely by the very people hoping to adopt. We can spot the difference a mile away between a genuine, homemade adoption profile and a commercially-crafted adoption profile composed by AI or by a third party adoption profile designer– and so can most expectant moms and placing parents. We understand that not everyone is artistically-gifted, but please make the effort to offer a personal glimpse into your lives. It’s well-worth it.
Monthly & Annual Reports
At Abrazo, after a baby or child goes home with new parents, they send us monthly reports on the child’s progress until the judge grants the adoption. After that, we ask them to forward us at least an annual progress report, which we forward to the birthfamily upon their request. We all enjoy hearing from the adoptive family, not just getting regurgitated detail put together by their favorite AI application.
Birthparent/Adoptive Parent/Adoptee Communication
Open adoption thrives because of the interpersonal exchange of firsthand information directly between the adoption participants. Just as something gets lost when adoption professionals try to serve as an intermediary, interpersonal intimacy also gets sacrificed when birthparents, adoptive parents and/or adoptees use AI to draft their communications with each other.
The Role of AI in Today’s Adoption Process
So what role should AI play in modern adoption? As of yet, we’re not big fans, obviously, although we do appreciate the positive feedback we sometimes hear from new clients who find Abrazo on ChatGPT or other programs. It’s clear that adoption and AI will continue to interface as time and technology moves forward. Yet it seems important for both professionals and parents to remember the dangers of violating HIPPA laws by entering protected health and medical information into AI-generated reports, or exposing minor children to unauthorized reproductions of their images by uploading photos for AI enhancement.
At the start of this blog. we mentioned attorneys and adoption and AI, remember? A recent American Bar Association piece on the impact of AI on child welfare addressed the benefits and drawbacks that have arisen so far. As author and attorney Mariefaye (Efthimia) Bechrakis so wisely concludes:
Ultimately, the question is not whether AI should replace human decision-making. It should not. Decisions affecting the safety of children and the integrity of families are too complex to be reduced to statistical probabilities alone. Algorithms can identify patterns in historical data, but they cannot assess credibility, appreciate context, weigh competing evidence, or understand the lived realities of the children and families before them. Those responsibilities remain uniquely human.
As we consider the growing impact of adoption and AI, those of us at Abrazo wholeheartedly agree– not because that’s the work we do, but because of the children for whom we work.
