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The 2025 NASP Annual Conference in Seattle demonstrated a significant shift in the presence and discussion of artificial intelligence (AI) in school psychology. Compared to last year, where only two companies solely focused on AI, this year I counted at least five such companies. This increase underscores the growing role of AI in education and psychological services. However, what stood out to me was the wide variation in transparency, security, and pricing among these companies.

AI Companies at NASP 2025: Transparency and Cost Considerations

I made a point to speak with most of these AI-focused companies, and the level of transparency they provided varied significantly. Some were upfront about the APIs they used (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, or other large language models), while others were vague or avoided the topic altogether. Similarly, some companies clearly outlined whether their models were fine-tuned versus being mere wrappers around third-party AI models, while others remained ambiguous.

Security and compliance also varied widely. Some companies demonstrated robust security practices, including SOC 2 compliance, FERPA and HIPAA adherence, liability insurance, and business associate agreements (BAAs) as part of their standard operations. Others were less forthcoming about their security measures or met lower bars. One trend that emerged was that the companies with the highest levels of transparency and robust security protocols also had significantly higher price points. While these companies impressed me with their rigor, their pricing models seemed cost-prohibitive for many school districts and practitioners.

The High Interest in AI Discussions

AI was a dominant topic at the conference, and I had the opportunity to engage in numerous discussions about it (thank you to everyone who talked with me!). I presented three posters concurrently (can NASP do something to avoid this in the future?), but my session on AI and report writing drew so much attention that I was unable to step away from it to help with the other two. The enthusiasm and curiosity surrounding AI were encouraging. Most attendees I spoke with recognized AI's disruptive potential and expressed both excitement and nervousness—both of which I believe are appropriate reactions to this technological shift.

A Breakdown of AI-Focused Presentations

By my count, the conference featured 17 AI-focused presentations at the 2025 NASP Conference, up for about 3-4 last year. This reflects AI's increasing relevance in school psychology. Here’s a breakdown of the AI-focused sessions:

Workshops and Documented Sessions:

• Maximizing School Psychologist Efficiency with AI and Effective Strategies

• The AI Advantage in School Psychology: Fundamentals, Uses, and Ethics

Mini-Skills Sessions:

• Using Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Building Practitioner Capacity

• Using Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Strength-Based Psychological Evaluations

Paper Presentations:

• Student and Faculty Perspectives on Integrating AI Into Higher Education

• Reading Between the Items: Using AI to Analyze SEL Measures

• Does AI Detection Software Accurately Classify School Psychology Dissertations?

• Revolutionizing Graduate Education: AI-Powered Interview Skills Training

• Perceptions of AI Versus Human Collaboration in Higher Education

Poster Presentations:

• The Brave New World of AI and Academic Integrity

• Comparative Analysis of AI and Human-Generated Psychoeducational Reports

• Perceptions of AI Versus Human Collaboration in Higher Education

• Teacher Perspectives: AI Use in Curriculum Modification for SPED Students

• A Comparison of ChatGPT-4 Versus Human Coding in Qualitative Analysis

• A Tailored AI-Powered Chatbot Supervisor to Answer Psychology Trainee Queries

• I, School Psychologist: The Use of AI in School Psychology

• Will Robots Take My Job? AI's Future in School Consultation

Emerging Themes in AI and School Psychology

From the presentations and discussions at NASP 2025, several prominent themes emerged regarding AI’s role in school psychology:

1. Efficiency and Workload Reduction: AI tools are increasingly being leveraged to streamline workflows, manage caseloads, and reduce practitioner stress.

2. AI in Psychological Evaluations: AI continues to play a growing role in supporting report writing, facilitating strength-based assessments, and improving the efficiency of evaluations.

3. Ethical Considerations and Guidelines: The field acknowledges the urgent need for ethical guidelines and accountability measures when implementing AI in practice.

4. AI in Graduate and Practitioner Training: Training programs are exploring ways to incorporate AI into curricula to prepare future practitioners while addressing academic integrity and collaboration challenges.

5. AI and Academic Integrity: Several presentations examined the challenges AI poses to academic honesty, highlighting how human graders and instructors perceive and address AI-generated work.

6. AI in Assessment and Data Analysis: Presenters explored the potential of AI to analyze complex data, including social-emotional learning (SEL) measures, to enhance the validity and utility of assessments.

7. AI-Powered Support Systems: Innovations such as AI-driven chatbots are being developed to offer timely guidance for trainees and practicing psychologists.

8. AI in Curriculum Development for Special Education: Educators are investigating how AI can support curriculum modifications for students with disabilities, raising questions about personalization and ethical use.

9. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Applications: The use of AI in research was a recurring theme, particularly regarding its potential to assist with coding qualitative data and processing large datasets.

10. AI in School Consultation and Collaboration: AI’s role in supporting consultation services and professional collaboration is being explored, though concerns about overreliance and ethical implementation remain.

11. Perceptions and Adoption of AI: Students, faculty, and practitioners are navigating a complex mix of excitement and skepticism about AI’s place in education and psychology.

12. Implementation Challenges: Cost, transparency from AI vendors, and the need for clear guidelines and professional development emerged as significant barriers to adoption.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 NASP Conference reaffirmed that AI is becoming an integral part of school psychology. While some companies are leading with transparency and robust security practices, others still have a ways to go. The growing number of AI-focused presentations reflects the field’s increasing engagement with this technology.

As we move forward, it is essential for school psychologists to stay informed about AI developments, advocate for ethical and secure AI applications, and critically assess the tools that enter our field. AI has the potential to be a valuable ally, but its implementation must be guided by best practices, ethical considerations, and a commitment to serving students and educators effectively.