An AI philosophy? Why now?

Here’s the thing: AI isn’t new to the assessment industry. It’s been around for decades with uses like item selection algorithms or Computerized Adaptative Testing (CAT) and natural language processing (NLP) for automated essay scoring. So, why a company philosophy now? If you’re a partner of ITS’s, you know doing the right thing is important to us. It’s what the foundation of our organization is built on.

With the rapid expansion of AI, it puts us in a position where we must ensure that our company’s use of AI is guided by clear, ethical principles that prioritize transparency and customer trust. Having an AI philosophy helps us align our technology with our values, making sure AI is used responsibly and effectively to solve real problems. It also reassures our partners that the company is committed to innovation that benefits everyone (hello, SparkAI™ 😉).

Defining what’s important

Together, we’ve identified six core beliefs about AI that guide our decision-making, development, and implementation processes.

• Transforming Assessment: We believe AI is the future with rapid content creation and analysis for efficient item authoring and banking, advanced data analytics for informed decision-making, and smart monitoring for enhanced test security. 
• Recognizing Opportunities and Challenges: We believe AI is an opportunity to elevate what’s possible in assessment, while also being an ongoing threat to test delivery security that must be monitored and managed. 
• Helping our Clients Do More: We believe in collaborating with our clients on how they want to use AI produces the best outcomes. Whether it’s machine learning, data science, or language models, our tools conform to their needs, not the other way around. 
• Complementing Humans, not Replacing: We believe AI is designed to empower human decision-making. The final decision is made by our teams and partners, not AI alone. 
• Prioritizing Ethical Principles: We believe in the safety and security of our AI systems, implementing strict measures to protect data and prevent misuse. We ensure that AI remains transparent, accountable, and respectful of people’s rights. 
• Committing to Continuous Improvement: We believe in fostering a culture of continuous learning to keep our AI systems updated with the latest research and adapting them to meet evolving needs. 

Industry impact and what’s to come

As AI-powered tools continue to gain strength they will play a critical role in enhanced content development, bias detection and mitigation, smart item banks, and predictive analytics. Oh, and don’t get us started on test security! Where do we go from here? From Pat Ward (our President and CEO) to you: “Our vision at ITS is to lead the assessment industry into the future by developing AI solutions that are both powerful and ethical. We’re dedicated to advancing technology that aligns with our core values and benefits our customers and their community of candidates.”

About the Author

Amanda Crowley is the Director of Marketing at ITS. She has ten years of experience in assessment and is passionate about helping businesses with marketing strategy and brand building. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science in Digital Audiences from Arizona State University and has earned multiple certifications from Google, LinkedIn, and Microsoft. As Marketing Chair for the 2024 and 2025 Innovations in Testing Conference (“ATP”), she collaborates with industry leaders and experts to promote innovation and best practices in testing. Amanda is a strong supporter of industry organizations such as ATP, ITCC, and I.C.E., and enjoys consulting locally in the Baltimore area.

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