GED Testing Service AI Policy Statement

GED Testing Service LLC is committed to safe, effective, and accessible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the GED Program. GED Testing Service believes students and educators are the main drivers in adult education programs.

As technology becomes more powerful and accessible, products, services and support methods have evolved in parallel. For GED Testing Service, this includes the adoption of assistive capabilities that employ Artificial Intelligence (AI). We view AI-enhanced technology as an aid for test takers and educators to help answer their questions and assist through the registration and other processes and not a replacement for meaningful and necessary human connection. We are sensitive to the valid concerns regarding some uses of AI, particularly with respect to privacy, security, and bias, and we are committed to not only to fostering equality and fairness, but also to transparency and maintaining the highest ethical standards in testing and proctoring practices.

Our promise to test takers, jurisdictions and educators

We recognize that when using GED Testing Service’s products, services, and systems, test takers, jurisdictions and educators place their trust in us. That’s a responsibility we take very seriously, and it’s why we’re committed to designing, developing, and using AI with integrity. Any application of AI technology is responsibly designed to respect and protect data privacy while mitigating the risk of discrimination and fraud on behalf of test takers, jurisdictions and educators. Above all, we are committed to a human-controlled approach to the use of AI technology in delivery of our products and services. The following values and principles guide our efforts to use AI responsibly, together with actionable commitments to implement AI technology wisely, ethically, and fairly.

Value	Guiding principle	Our commitment
Privacy and security	Diligently protect test-taker PII data.	We minimize personal data collection and process only what is required for its intended purpose, as described in the GED Testing Service Privacy Policy, retaining this data to the minimum extent required. Our third-party partners who provide AI services do not retain test taker data and all third parties that we collaborate with must meet stringent requirements and agree to data deletion policies before handling test taker data. We adhere to local and global data privacy and retention laws and build our products and services to enable compliance with required regulations. System tests, audits, and penetration testing are standard, ongoing practices.
Fairness and anti-bias	Minimize the potential for unfair bias and/or impermissible discriminatory decisions.	For the Online Proctored GED® test, to protect the integrity of the GED® test and fairness to test takers, jurisdictions, and educators, we use AI technology throughout the testing experience to assist human greeters and proctors with detection and notification of potential irregularities that require human evaluation, such as: Identification verification: Confirmation that the physical face of the on-screen testing candidate matches the image on the identification document provided during check-in. If unable to solidify a match between both images, human greeters are engaged to evaluate and make necessary identification confirmations. Facial comparison/verification: Continuous identity confirmation during the testing process. A limited type of facial recognition known as “facial comparison” or “facial verification” compares the on-screen image of the exam candidate to the image captured during the check-in process, and confirms the on-screen person is the same throughout the testing process. If unable to secure a match between the two images, human intervention is requested to complete the validation. Body presence/movement sensing: Monitors single test-taker presence throughout the online testing process. Sensors verify the test-taker is present and in complete view of the observing proctor to protect against fraud occurrences.
Accountability	Take responsibility for test taker -impacting decisions and actions.	We use AI systems and processes that prohibit automated decisions that could jeopardize a test taker’s ability to take or complete a test. AI functionality is limited to exam session observation and, when appropriate, requesting further review by human proctors, who then take necessary actions. For example, upon observing behaviors most associated with attempted fraud, such as off-screen eye movements or background noise, the AI technology will engage the assistance of a live (human) proctor to ensure these receive human contextual observation for handling and decision making.
Transparency and governance	Apply AI best practices broadly, effectively, and consistently, with ethical and technical oversight.	At present, there are no universal ethical and technical standards for the use of AI. Until such standards are implemented, to provide strong assurance regarding AI standards and best practices, we contract independent, third-party reviews and audits across AI design, development, and operations. A governance committee will provide oversight of engagements and have the responsibility 1) to monitor operational performance data and 2) for any decisions made in respect of these practices. We welcome the opportunity to work with partners and customers who share our commitment to managing AI-based services with the utmost integrity and whose ethics align with our own.