Rethinking Fairness, Bias, and Comparability in the Age of AI

Introduction

Interweaving Assessment: Rethinking Fairness, Bias and Comparability in the Age of AI, was held October 30th-31st, 2025, in Pittsburgh, PA, following NCME’s AIME-Con. This Convening was planned by MenloEDU, in collaboration with Dr. Amy Burkhardt of Cambium Assessment.

The second convening within the Interweaving Assessment initiative focused on the ways in which validity must be reconceptualized within an evolving technological landscape to ensure fairness and minimize bias. Convening participants were tasked with exploring unique use cases that enable critical conversations around the challenges and concerns within the field, and the possible ways assessment R&D can address these. Participants were guided to utilize their learnings of the use case analyses to generate a prioritized list of opportunities, challenges, and concerns associated with addressing evolving validity approaches in response to applications of AI.

Ahead of the convening, the Interweaving Assessment team hosted an AI & Accessibility Know Before You Go Webinar featuring invited speakers Dr. Kristen Huff (Curriculum Associates), Dr. Michael Walker (Cognia), and Dr. Amy Burkhardt (Cambium Assessment). Speakers discussed how validity needs to be rethought; how validity relates to AI and Assessment; and the challenges and bright spots the field faces in moving towards a dynamic model of validity. After the close of the convening, a post-convening brief was prepared (please see below) that provides a high-level overview of convening activities, outcomes—including R&D Priorities—and next steps.