ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE STANDARDIZATION OF GLOBAL ENGLISH:A SOCIOLINGUISTIC INQUIRY

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the standardization of Global English, focusing on how AI-assisted language tools influence linguistic norms across spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Using a mixed-methods design, the research combines corpus-based quantitative analysis of AI outputs with qualitative data from learners, teachers, and developers. Findings reveal that AI overwhelmingly privileges American English conventions, standardising spelling (color over colour), enforcing prescriptive grammar, and favouring globally dominant lexical items (apartment over flat). While learners and teachers acknowledged the utility of AI in enhancing accuracy, they also expressed concerns about cultural erasure, linguistic insecurity, and over-reliance on standardized norms. Developers admitted that the Anglo-centric bias of training datasets contributes to these patterns, reflecting structural inequities in AI design. The study concludes that AI is not a neutral educational aid but a sociolinguistic force that simultaneously enhances communicative efficiency while narrowing the space for World Englishes. Recommendations emphasize the need for critical pedagogical practices, dataset diversification, and inclusive AI design to balance global intelligibility with linguistic diversity.