Accelerators and Inhibitors of Artificial Intelligence Uptake in South Africa: Implication for Social Service Professional Training and Practice

Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake in South Africa’s social services sector offers transformative opportunities for improving education, training, and service delivery. However, the social service sector has yet to utilize AI’s opportunities and benefits. This paper examined the accelerators and inhibitors influencing AI adoption. Through a scoping review, thirty-five studies were analyzed. The findings highlighted accelerators of AI uptake being supportive policies such as the Windhoek Statement on AI and the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, which promote digital literacy, innovation, and AI integration in higher education, growing research on AI applications, internet connectivity, and digital literacy. However, inhibitors included socio-economic disparities, lack of adequate infrastructure, ethical concerns regarding data privacy, and fears of AI replacing human jobs. Moreover, according to the findings, social service professionals lack the digital skills and confidence to adopt AI technologies and ethical challenges surrounding AI’s role in human-centered fields. The study concludes that South Africa is on the right trajectory towards the uptake of AI, and the social service sectors will benefit through enhanced efficiency, personalized learning for professionals, and administrative improvements. The study recommends increased investment in digital infrastructure, comprehensive training for social service professionals, and developing ethical frameworks that ensure AI is used responsibly and equitably.