AI+Education Summit 2026: Future of Assessment in the Age of AI

Quick Overview

The 2026 AI+Education Summit focused on the 'Future of Assessment in the Age of AI,' featuring a discussion between Candace Thille (Stanford) and Jesse Sparks (ETS) about moving beyond standardized assessment to constructs that are socially, culturally, and responsibly responsive to what a student can truly learn and do in the AI era.

Key Points: The session addressed the critical issue of assessment in the age of AI, specifically focusing on developing 'responsible assessment' that measures what a student can actually do and learn. Candace Thille mentioned a collaboration between Stanford University and ETS Research Institute, stemming from discussions at a prior conference on January 29th. Thille argued that traditional assessment metrics like fairness, comparability, validity, and reliability (standardization) do not adequately work for creating socially, culturally, and responsibly responsive assessments in the AI era. Jesse Sparks confirmed that ETS is launching a new Center on Responsible AI for Assessment and Learning, with a white paper forthcoming in the next couple of months. The summit included panel discussions and breakout sessions covering readiness for the AI age and the skills that matter, with one breakout session focusing specifically on K-12 assessment and learning. Sparks encouraged attendees to connect afterward to continue discussions on potential collaborations and research opportunities, particularly regarding responsible AI in learning and assessment. The event concluded with the speakers inviting attendees to lunch.

Context: This video captures a segment from the 2026 AI+Education Summit, hosted by Stanford's Accelerator for Learning and the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) institute. The discussion centers on the profound challenges and necessary evolution of educational assessment methods given the rapid advancements and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into learning environments. Speakers Candace Thille, Faculty Director for Workforce and Adult Learning at Stanford, and Jesse Sparks, Research Director at ETS Research Institute, frame the conversation around shifting assessment paradigms.