Session: Macro-Level Synergies: AI Interventions for Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Communities worldwide face profound social, economic, and environmental challenges that demand innovative and scalable solutions. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative force in macro-level social work, offering the capacity to detect trends, guide policy, and strengthen advocacy. This symposium presents four narrative reviews of current peer-reviewed research, exploring AI's role in tackling poverty, supporting LGBTQI+ populations, combating climate crises, and advancing international social welfare.

Study 1 examines how predictive analytics and AI-driven policy tools are being applied to identify at-risk populations and enhance the targeting of social assistance. Drawing from global case studies, the review illustrates how AI improves poverty detection and optimizes resource distribution -- particularly in data-scarce areas. It also raises concerns about algorithmic bias, surveillance, and misclassification. Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, the analysis underscores the need for transparency, accountability, and community-informed design to ensure AI promotes, rather than undermines, economic equity.

Study 2 addresses the complex needs of sexual and gender minority communities. By examining the literature on AI-powered tools, from online peer-support platforms to policy analysis algorithms, the review demonstrates how technology illuminates patterns of discrimination, informs advocacy campaigns, and fosters safer social environments. Ethical imperatives such as confidentiality, cultural sensitivity, and inclusive data collection are stressed, underlining the delicate interplay between technological innovation and LGBTQ+ and human rights protections.

Study 3 explores the integration of AI in eco-social work through real-world examples from the USA, Africa, Brazil, and Bangladesh. It analyzes how AI-enabled systems are shaping environmental practices with marginalized communities, enhancing disaster preparedness, and improving resource management. The review highlights the critical role of social workers in connecting technical analyses with human-centered support for communities affected by climate change. It discusses how AI can assist social workers in preparing vulnerable communities for disasters and advocating for policy changes. The study also addresses ethical concerns related to data usage, model training, digital divide, and emphasizes the need for transparent governance standards to prevent technology from perpetuating social or ecological harm.

Study 4 looks at the intersection of AI with cross-border humanitarian aid, migration services, disaster response, and global health initiatives. This review analyzes approaches ranging from predictive analytics to automated case management and AI-driven multilingual chatbots. It emphasizes the critical need for culturally informed collaboration, ensuring that AI strategies uphold local sovereignty and ethical standards in diverse contexts. Challenges related to algorithmic bias, data privacy, and uneven access to technology are explored.

By focusing on macro-level dimensions, these four reviews collectively reveal AI's dual capacity: to catalyze global social transformation and to inadvertently reproduce systemic inequities. Attendees will gain essential insights into the breadth of AI's applications in global social work, from policy-making to transnational crisis intervention. The session will equip practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers with the ability to critically evaluate AI-driven models, forge equitable data-sharing partnerships, and design strategies that respect community agency. Overall, participants will learn how to harness AI's power responsibly, ensuring that these emerging tools align with social justice principles and engender truly inclusive and sustainable solutions.