Artificial intelligence has brought about a greater than ever impact on foreign language education due to its digital intelligence functions characterized by language interaction and generativity. Based on the problem analysis and objectives of foreign language education in the digital intelligence era, as well as review of relevant literature and research, this paper explores the role of AI in empowering foreign language education. In the future, AI should empower foreign language education by giving full play to its advantages in language skill training, personalized teaching and learning, critical thinking cultivation, textbook and learning resources development, teaching and learning environment construction, and teaching and learning evaluation.