Values clarification for AI

Before a team decides how to use an AI tool, it helps to agree why. A values clarification exercise makes the team's values and beliefs explicit and turns them into a shared purpose that guides decisions.

This activity adapts the values clarification exercise developed by Warfield and Manley (1990), which is widely used in practice development. The Foundation of Nursing Studies publishes a general guide to the exercise.

At a glance

• Time: about 45 minutes, or run over a week using a board in the staff room
• Who: the whole team, ideally with service users, families or carers
• Facilitator: a practice educator, practice development lead or experienced colleague
• You need: sticky notes, five sheets of flipchart paper, pens
• Output: a shared purpose statement for AI in your team

The five statements

Write each statement at the top of a separate sheet. Ask people to complete each one individually, on sticky notes, before any discussion.

1. I believe the ultimate purpose of using AI in our team is...
2. I believe this purpose can be achieved by...
3. I believe the things that will help us achieve this include...
4. I believe the things that could get in the way include...
5. Other values and beliefs I hold about AI in our care are...

People who use services can answer the same statements in their own words, for example "I believe AI in my care should..."

Running the session

1. Set the ground rules (5 minutes). All views are welcome. There are no right answers. Nothing said is used to judge individuals.
2. Individual responses (10 minutes). Everyone writes as many sticky notes as they like, one idea per note, and places them on the sheets.
3. Group the themes (15 minutes). In small groups, cluster similar notes on each sheet and give each cluster a short name.
4. Find the shared ground (10 minutes). As a whole team, look for the themes that appear most often and matter most. Note any disagreements; they are useful, not a problem.
5. Draft a shared purpose (5 minutes). Write two or three sentences that capture what the team believes AI should achieve and how. Keep it on display and revisit it.

Prompts for discussion

Use these if the conversation needs opening up:

• What matters most to the people we care for? Could AI help or hinder that?
• If AI saves us time, what should we do with it?
• What should AI never do in our care?
• How will we know whether the person's voice is still in the record?
• Who might AI work less well for, such as people with a strong accent, a speech difference, a learning disability, or who use an interpreter?
• What would make it safe for any of us to say "I don't think this output is right"?

Example shared purpose

This is an illustration only. Your team's purpose should come from your own session.

We will use AI to give us more time with the people we care for, never less. Records must still sound like the person and show our reasoning. Anyone can question an AI output, and we will check that tools work well for everyone who uses our service.

After the session

• Display the shared purpose where the team will see it.
• Use it to frame the next activity, Claims, concerns and issues.
• Revisit it after the tool has been in use for a few months: are we living our purpose?

Reference

• Warfield, C. and Manley, K. (1990) Developing a new philosophy in the NDU. Nursing Standard, 4(41), 27–30.