Rethinking assessment in the age of AI
From Education Futures by Svenia Busson & Laurent Jolie
April 6, 2026 · 1h 3m · Season 1 · Episode 33
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and evolution of assessment in education due to the influence of AI.
What does it mean to assess learning in a world where AI can generate answers instantly? In this episode of Education Futures , Svenia Busson is joined by Alina von Davier , Chief of Assessment at Duolingo , and Elie Bechara , who works on institutional partnerships for the Duolingo English Test . Together, they bring a rare combination of assessment science, product innovation, and real-world university dynamics . As AI tools become widely accessible, traditional forms of assessment, especially high-stakes exams, are being fundamentally challenged. If students can generate answers with AI, what are we actually measuring? In this conversation, we explore: • Why AI is putting pressure on the validity of traditional exams • How universities are responding to new questions around academic integrity and admissions • The shift from testing knowledge → competencies and skills • Why assessment needs to become more continuous, contextual, and embedded in learning • How the Duolingo English Test is rethinking language assessment using AI • The importance of designing assessments that reflect real-world performance, not artificial test conditions We also discuss how assessment can evolve…
People in this episode
Host: Svenia Busson
Guests: Alina von Davier, Elie Bechara
Topics covered
- assessment
- AI in education
- academic integrity
- competencies and skills
- language assessment
- real-world performance
Keywords
- assessment
- AI
- education
- Duolingo
- academic integrity
- high-stakes exams
- competencies
- language assessment
- real-world performance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Duolingo, Duolingo English Test
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