Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the landscape of English as a foreign language (EFL) learning, including assessing speaking skills. This paper investigates the efficacy of AI-powered speech evaluation tools, which have proven instrumental in advancing learners’ fluency, pronunciation, and intonation. It then introduces a user-centred AI tool which offers an engaging and compelling method for learners to assess their speaking skills. The rising popularity of AI assessment tools underscores their potential in educational settings. This paper aims to elucidate the methodologies and influencing factors of AI-facilitated speaking assessment, offering insights and practical guidance for educators and decision-makers to integrate AI into speaking proficiency evaluation frameworks.