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About AI Labs

Our AI research and innovation center advances responsible AI that helps teachers meet the needs of every student.

Responsible Artificial Intelligence Puts People First

For more than 50 years, Curriculum Associates’ mission has been to make classrooms better places for teachers and students. AI Labs honors this mission by building ethical, human-centered AI designed in partnership with educators, grounded in the learning sciences, and developed and refined in real classrooms.

Our Guiding Principles

Six key principles guide our AI work, building on our company values and commitment to the one million educators and 17 million students we serve.

  • Impactful—Improve student outcomes through ongoing rigorous research and continuous improvement.
  • Fair—Accelerate learning opportunities for every student.
  • Collaborative—Co-create with educators, students, and school communities.
  • Secure—Protect data privacy and security through strong safeguards and responsible stewardship.
  • Human Centered—Develop AI that reinforces teacher expertise and keeps relationships at the core of learning.
  • Transparent—Be clear about what we build, how it works, and its impact on learning.
Circular diagram titled 'Our Guiding Principles' with six spokes: Impactful, Collaborative, Fair, Transparent, Human Centered, and Secure.
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Hear from Our Experts

Blog

AI in Education Assessment: Designing for Validity, Not ...

Dr. Kristen Huff and Dr. Amelia Kelly explore how AI in education assessment can evolve responsibly.

Blog

Building Trust through Responsible Design

John Higginson writes for THE AI JOURNAL on artificial intelligence and student privacy

Blog

Guest Post: A Decade of Building Responsible Voice AI fo...

Dr. Amelia Kelly’s Digital Promise blog explores how AI needs to support learners fairly and safely.

Video

AI in Education: The Future of Learning, Teaching & Tale...

John Higginson joins NASSCOM, exploring the evolving role of AI in education.

Podcast

Finding Their Voice: Voice AI for Literacy Support

Dr. Kristen Huff and Dr. Amelia Kelly join Ed Technical to discuss the realities of developing AI in educ...

Blog

Safeguarding Students—Why Responsible AI in Education Is...

Dr. Amelia Kelly shares the importance of building fair, privacy-first voice AI with educators.

starting_quoteParticipating in the pilot wasn’t just about trying a new approach to assessing literacy using voice AI. It was about being on the front end of innovation and shaping how technology can meaningfully support teachers and students in real classrooms.ending_quote

— Nicki Bryant, Principal, Childersburg Elementary

Our Approach to AI in Education

Building responsible AI-powered tools for teachers and students takes time. We are thoughtfully and intentionally integrating voice AI into our i-Ready literacy programs , building with care and in close collaboration with educator partners across the country.  

We are learning from real classroom experiences to understand how voice AI can best support every classroom’s needs—and how we can make it even better. 

As we explore potential future applications of AI in i-Ready, our aim is to help educators:

  • Create more time for human connection and instruction   
  • Gain timely insights that can inform instructional decisions
  • Use technology purposefully and responsibly in support of student needs
  • Keep teaching and learning centered on the relationships that matter most
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Educator Resources

Three students standing togetherBlog

Putting Students at the Heart of EdTech: Lessons from Ou...

Principal Eric Alston shares how student-centered AI piloting built reading confidence and reshaped educa...

A student and teacher read together.Blog

3 Practical Ways Educators Are Using AI without Losing t...

Explore how educators use AI to save time, personalize learning, and deliver feedback responsibly.

Arrangement of colorful artificial flowers

Understanding the "Artificial" in Artificial Intelligenc...

Written by Dr. Emma O'Neill, this article discusses how AI education tools work, their limitations, and h...

Exploring Purpose-Built Voice AI Technology

The SoapBox speech engine is our proprietary voice AI technology, built from the ground up for education and designed to support children’s unique voices, speech patterns, and busy classroom environments.

We’re working closely with a small number of districts across the U.S. to pilot this technology with participating educators and students. Their experiences and feedback are helping us explore how voice AI can support teaching and learning while keeping educators and students at the center of its development.

Certified by Digital Promise for privacy, fairness, and transparent design, SoapBox speech engine reflects our commitment to developing responsible, human centered AI that puts educators and students first.

Responsibly Designed AI badge, issued by Digital Promise.

Certified by Digital Promise

Our voice AI is the first to earn Digital Promise’s Responsibly Designed AI certification, helping educators identify tools built to serve all students fairly and securely.

Read the Announcement