Digital Promise is excited to announce the launch of its newest product certification: Responsibly Designed AI. Co-designed with 39 district leaders, instructional technologists, school staff, and AI researchers, this certification distinguishes AI-enabled products that meet transparent standards designed by those who use and purchase AI for learning.
As the number of AI tools on the market continues to grow, identifying which tools have taken appropriate steps to mitigate risks has become increasingly difficult. Digital Promise’s product certification provides a simple and transparent way for education leaders and educators to navigate the crowded edtech market and identify tools designed to serve all students fairly and securely. Rather than relying on marketing promises from developers, districts now have independent, trusted third-party validation to empower informed procurement decisions. Likewise, products designed intentionally and transparently have a market-trusted way to signal that they meet the standards required for responsible use.
To establish the certification requirements, we used multiple approaches to understand the landscape of AI and the needs of district leaders, teachers, learners, and families. Our full process is described in a recent blog post and is informed by multiple research projects, including a study of 28 AI pilots.
Just as there has been a proliferation of AI tools, there has also been a corresponding growth in frameworks, toolkits, and resources aimed at understanding the ethical considerations of AI. We drew upon those existing works to understand the current academia around AI. In partnership with more than 20 school districts across the country, we conducted co-design sessions, gathered survey responses, and interviewed edtech experts to better understand the criteria districts prioritize when procuring AI-powered tools.
We also conducted two pilots of the certification to finetune the requirements and application with the support of school and district leaders across the country who assessed the pilot applications, including:
“Participating in the Responsibly Designed AI Product Certification pilot confirmed the need for a certification process districts can rely on while navigating the crowded AI in [education] landscape. It deepened my understanding of AI evaluation complexities and surfaced key questions to guide my own district’s procurement—ensuring the learner remains centered and the human stays in the loop throughout the user journey.”
— Andrew Fenstermaker, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Iowa City Community School District
District leaders from Chicago Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, Lynwood Unified School District, and others have already begun preparing to incorporate this certification into their procurement processes.
“The Responsibly Designed AI Certification provides a simple and transparent way for district leaders to validate that these tools are implementing AI in a way that is fair, unbiased, and beneficial to all students, in addition to meeting high standards for data privacy and security.”
— Lorne Rodriguez, Instructional GenAI Manager, Chicago Public Schools
“We rigorously review all AI tools and a Responsibly Designed AI Certification from Digital Promise is a valuable data point in our reviews. Having a trusted third-party certification focused on ethics gives us insight into AI tools that we currently lack.”
— Luke Mund, Manager of Education Technology, Denver Public Schools
Districts are stretched thin, and evaluating AI tools can feel overwhelming. The Responsibly Designed AI Product Certification by Digital Promise eases that burden with a structured evaluation framework. From labeling where AI is used to showing if users can override AI suggestions, the certification helps districts navigate the complexities of AI tools and streamlines procurement decisions.
— Andrew Fenstermaker, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Iowa City Community School District
Providers who are interested in earning the Responsibly Designed AI certification are encouraged to visit the product certification platform and apply. After providing evidence, experts at Digital Promise will assess their applications to determine if the tool currently meets requirements. Products that earn the certification receive a digital badge to increase education leaders’ confidence in the tool.
Congratulations to the inaugural group of products that earned through our pilot of the application!
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