Same Score, Same Meaning? Generative AI, Automated Scoring, and the Validity of Score Interpretations

Christopher Runyon


Abstract
Agreement between generative AI and subject-matter expert scores is necessary but insufficient to establish equivalent score meaning. Drawing on Kane’s scoring inference, I distinguish text-proximal from expertise-dependent tasks and argue that opaque model development threatens validity when score meaning depends on domain-specific judgment that score agreement alone cannot demonstrate.
Anthology ID:
2026.aimecon-main.77
Volume:
Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Full Papers
Month:
October
Year:
2026
Address:
Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Editors:
Joshua Wilson, Christopher Ormerod, Magdalen Beiting-Parrish
Venue:
AIME-Con
SIG:
Publisher:
National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
Note:
Pages:
681–687
Language:
URL:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-main.77/
DOI:
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):
Christopher Runyon. 2026. Same Score, Same Meaning? Generative AI, Automated Scoring, and the Validity of Score Interpretations. In Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Full Papers, pages 681–687, Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
Cite (Informal):
Same Score, Same Meaning? Generative AI, Automated Scoring, and the Validity of Score Interpretations (Runyon, AIME-Con 2026)
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PDF:
https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-main.77.pdf