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The analysis aims to examine how artificial intelligence impacts language education from a cultural perspective.

June 13, 2026Frontiers in Education0 citationsOpen Access

From algorithm to classroom: artificial intelligence as cultural event in language education — a conceptual analysis through the digital humanities

Key Points

The analysis aims to examine how artificial intelligence impacts language education from a cultural perspective.
Conceptual analysis of AI's role in language education through digital humanities lens.
Exploration of dimensions including personalization, biases for multilingual learners, and ethical implications.
Identification of research gaps in applied linguistics regarding AI's cultural and power aspects.
AI in language education challenges traditional views on learning and knowledge.
Effective integration demands critical AI literacy and new assessment frameworks.
Emphasizes the importance of preserving human dignity and equity in AI-assisted learning.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is transforming language education in ways that are both promising and culturally consequential. This conceptual analysis examines the transformative role of AI in language teaching through the lens of the digital humanities — a theoretical perspective that situates technology within cultural, ethical, and pedagogical contexts rather than treating it as a neutral instrument. Drawing on post phenomenology critical data studies and New Literacy Studies the paper argues that AI in language education constitutes not merely a technological development but a cultural event — one that unsettles long-held assumptions about learning, knowledge, and human agency. The paper explores four interconnected dimensions: the personalization of language acquisition and its inherent tensions, the opportunities and biases AI presents for multilingual learners (with particular attention to Arabic-speaking learners in Gulf educational contexts), the complex implications of AI-assisted writing for authorship and creative agency, and the ethical dimensions of data privacy and the risk of dehumanizing the learning process. The paper identifies current research gaps — particularly the under theorization of AI's cultural and power dimensions in applied linguistics — and argues for a humanistic model of AI integration that keeps the teacher's mediating role central. Findings suggest that effective AI integration in language education requires not only technical competency but critical AI literacy, reformed assessment frameworks, and sustained engagement with questions of cultural equity and human dignity.

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