In November the iconic Bletchley Park will host the world’s first first summit on artificial intelligence safety. Over two days, world leaders, AI companies, and experts from across the globe will debate the safe development and use of AI technology.
At Duolingo, we’re well versed in the use of AI. It’s literally baked into everything we do - from personalizing your language lessons, to underpinning cutting edge security features on the DET, our high stakes English test, to helping you learn music with our brand new course. Earlier this year, we were one of a handful of companies to partner with Open AI on the launch of GPT-4, and we were the first test provider to publish a set of standards for the responsible use of AI in high-stakes assessment.
AI has the power to transform our world
We know how transformational AI is because we see it every day. Tens of thousands of people are having fun learning languages because they now can, and tens of thousands of the world's next innovators have secured entrance to Yale and Imperial and Trinity because of the DET. AI is helping us achieve our mission of making education available to everyone, much faster than if we worked alone.
But we are aware there are concerns. Today, much of the debate around AI is centered around fear, and that’s understandable — we know there are bad actors who will use this technology, so it's essential policy makers address concerns. Our hope is that when Rishi Sunak and Michelle Donelan confront the bad, they also embrace the good.
As leaders in AI we feel an obligation to set the standard. The most recent of which - for educational and psychological testing - were published in 2014. That's why we developed new responsible AI standards to ensure accountability, transparency, fairness, privacy & security in testing. By sharing them with the world, we hope to continue to lead the way in digital-first assessment.
And that’s also why we provided a detailed response to the Department of Education on Generative AI in Education, and next week will give evidence in parliament on Democratizing AI on Education. We think it’s important we share our expertise and vision for what’s next, and call out where we can all do better.
Delivering education, worldwide
We believe AI is the best way to scale education and level the playing field for all, regardless of their circumstances. While 1-on-1 tutoring is out of reach for most people, AI enables Duolingo to offer a personalized experience that adapt to each learner.
It can help us create educational and testing content quickly, and curate and recommend resources for learners that are at a really specific difficulty level given a learner's ability. In the context of assessment, AI can create adaptive test experiences that hone in on a test taker’s proficiency more efficiently than previously possible, making for a quicker, more streamlined testing experience.
This is not about replacing teachers, or ripping things up and starting again. It’s about using technology to its fullest to improve outcomes. Using AI, Duolingo is able to provide access to quality education in places where students don't have access to good schools and teachers, and enables students to certify their English proficiency in places where accessing test centers is either challenging, or impossible.
Generative AI will evolve in ways we can’t yet imagine, but we know it will help push our vision to replicate the experience of a human tutor using AI. We are committed to harnessing its capabilities to improve the lives of learners and test takers all over the world, and those positives should not be forgotten!
Learn more about how Duolingo is transforming education with AI here!