Social workers serve populations that may be particularly vulnerable to AI dependency: individuals experiencing isolation, poverty, disability, mental health challenges, or social marginalization. For these populations, AI can fill genuine gaps in social support—but it can also deepen isolation and create new dependencies that compound existing challenges.

Who Is Most Vulnerable?

Social workers observe AI dependency emerging most frequently among:

  • Isolated elderly individuals with limited social networks
  • People with disabilities who face barriers to social participation
  • Individuals experiencing homelessness who have smartphones but lack stable relationships
  • People with mental health conditions who find AI interactions less stressful
  • Youth in foster care or unstable family situations
  • Immigrant populations navigating cultural and language barriers
  • Those experiencing chronic loneliness due to social or economic marginalization

The Paradox of Access

Free AI tools can be the most accessible "support" available to underserved populations. When human services are underfunded, waitlisted, or geographically inaccessible, AI fills the void. This creates a paradox: the populations most in need of human connection may have the least access to it, making AI dependency both understandable and concerning.

Questions Social Workers Are Asking

Social workers describe grappling with several questions when AI dependency appears in the populations they serve:

  • What needs is AI meeting that current services or social networks are not?
  • Is AI use replacing available human support or filling a genuine gap?
  • Are there safety concerns (exploitation, misinformation, financial vulnerability)?
  • How does AI dependency interact with other challenges the person faces?
  • What would healthy AI use look like given this person's circumstances?

An Emerging Harm-Reduction Perspective

For populations where AI may be genuinely the most accessible support, some social workers describe a harm-reduction perspective as more realistic than abstinence. Some emerging themes include:

  • Viewing AI as a potential bridge to human connection, not necessarily a permanent replacement
  • Recognizing barriers to accessing human services and social opportunities
  • Having conversations about AI limitations without shaming use
  • Advocating for increased human services that reduce the need for AI as primary support
  • Being aware of exploitation or manipulation risks through AI platforms

Systemic Advocacy

Social workers are uniquely positioned to advocate for systemic changes that address the root causes of AI dependency in vulnerable populations: increased funding for social services, better access to mental health care, community building programs, and digital literacy education that includes AI awareness.

Interested in AI dependency and vulnerable communities? Visit AI Am Addicted for awareness resources and a self-reflection tool about AI use patterns.