AI for Applied Linguistics: Repositioning Applied Linguistics Within an AI-Mediated Paradigm

This commentary proposes AI for Applied Linguistics, hereafter AI4AL, as a framework for studying how artificial intelligence is changing language use, language learning and applied linguistic inquiry. Rather than treating AI primarily as a tool for automation, we argue that applied linguistics should examine AI through four connected lines of work. These are AI as a research instrument, AI as an object of applied linguistic inquiry, AI as a site of conceptual renewal and AI as a problem of pedagogy, policy and social justice. We ground this framework in applied linguistics’ long-standing concern with language as situated social practice, while recognising that contemporary AI systems now participate in writing, translation, feedback, assessment, interaction and knowledge production. The commentary clarifies the scope of AI by distinguishing between predictive, classificatory, assistive and generative systems, with particular attention to the conceptual significance of generative AI. It then develops four domains of inquiry in writing and literacy, genre and discourse, pragmatics and interaction and multilingualism and inequality. AI4AL is presented as a disciplinary agenda through which applied linguistics can study, evaluate and shape AI-mediated communication.