EALTA Special Interest Group: Artificial Intelligence for Language Assessment

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for language assessment. These uses include, but are not limited to, automated scoring enabled with natural language processing, AI driven test proctoring, and most recently, item writing using generative AI. Because the field of AI is developing very fast, its uses have not been widely researched and there is no legislation in place that would regulate those uses. In the field of language testing and assessment, although there have been some studies into the use of AI (e.g., Attali et al., 2022; Khademi, 2023; Mizumoto & Eguchi, 2023; O’Sullivan et al, 2023; Román, 2023; Su, Lin, & Lai, 2023), there is still a need for a better understanding of how AI works as well as for monitoring its uses. In parallel to this understanding, it is equally important to acknowledge and navigate the uncertainties that come with such progressive technological advancements. A number of academics, appreciating the extraordinary potential of AI-powered tools, have nevertheless expressed worries over their impact on academic integrity (Barrot, 2023) and the risk of psychological dependence (Alharbi, 2023). These concerns are far from insignificant and underscore the urgent need for an ongoing dialogue regarding the responsible, ethical, and thoughtful application of AI in the realm of language assessments.

• Share professional expertise in the use of AI for language testing and assessment;

• Work to improve the uses of AI for language testing and assessment systems in Europe; 

• Make the expertise in using AI for language testing and assessment readily available; 

• Engage with EU regulatory bodies to produce standard frameworks for the improvement in the uses of AI for language testing and assessment within Europe;

• Provide a forum for sharing and solving problems related to using AI for language testing and assessment.

We expect the SIG to be a space for all interested in AI uses for language testing and assessment, but particularly for:

• Test developers

• Test administrators

• Score users

• Educators

• Researchers

The aim of the SIG is to provide a dedicated forum for discussing and sharing knowledge and practices in the use of AI in language testing and assessment. It seeks to enhance transparency in the utilization of AI for language assessment, explore present and future developments in the field, and foster meaningful discussions on this subject. In particular, the SIG aims to engage in:

• Analysing existing policies and practices concerning the implementation of AI in  language testing and assessment;

• Establishing good practices for valid, meaningful, and fair uses of AI for language testing and assessment;  

• Collecting information from key stakeholders on their expectations, needs, attitudes, and concerns regarding the use of AI for language testing and assessment;

• Disseminating knowledge and sharing best practices in the use of AI for language testing and assessment;

• Encouraging research into the use of AI in language testing and assessment;

• Promoting a constructive dialogue with European regulatory bodies regarding the use of AI for language testing and assessment;

• Producing regulatory documents, including  guidelines, to assist various stakeholders, such as language testing organisations, policy makers, and score users in implementing AI responsibly for language assessment;

• Increasing assessment literacy of score users regarding the use of AI in language testing.