Transforming Speech-Language Pathology with AI: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Guidelines

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the diagnosis, treatment, and management of speech-language disorders through advances in speech recognition, natural language processing, automated assessments, and personalized intervention. These tools have the potential to enhance clinical decision-making, improve diagnostic accuracy, and increase access to services for individuals with speech and language disorders, particularly in underserved populations. Despite this progress, adoption is challenged by data bias, lack of transparency, and limited integration into clinical workflows. To realize the potential of AI in communication sciences, both technical development and ethical safeguards are required. This paper outlines core applications, emerging opportunities, and major challenges in applying AI to speech-language pathology and proposes ethical principles for its responsible use.