Duolingo Embraces AI-First Strategy, Phasing Out Contract Workers

Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI

Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," according to an all-hands email sent by co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn announcing that the company will be "AI-first." The email was posted on Duolingo's LinkedIn account. According to von Ahn, being "AI-first" means the company will "need to rethink much of how we work" and that "making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there." As part of the shift, the company will roll out "a few constructive constraints," including the changes to how it works with contractors, looking for AI use in hiring and in performance reviews, and that "headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work." von Ahn says that "Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees" and that "this isn't about replacing Duos with AI." Instead, he says that the changes are "about removing bottlenecks" so that employees can "focus on creative work and real problems, not repetitive tasks." "AI isn't just a productivity boost," von Ahn says. "It helps us get closer to our mission. To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP." von Ahn's email follows a similar memo Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke sent to employees and recently shared online. In that memo, Lütke said that before teams asked for more headcount or resources, they needed to show "why they cannot get what they want done using AI." Here's the text of von Ahn's memo from Duolingo's LinkedIn post:

Duolingo Adopts 'AI-First' Strategy, Will Eliminate All Contract Workers

(Credit: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Language learning platform Duolingo has announced plans to go "AI-First," a strategy that will integrate AI into more of the company's workflow and eventually eliminate contract workers. "AI is already changing how work gets done," writes Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn in a memo shared with employees and on the company's LinkedIn page. "When there's a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait." In the memo, von Ahn also explains the rationale behind Duolingo's AI pivot. He highlights how AI can benefit the company and compares the current AI wave to the rise of mobile apps in 2012. "To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by Al," von Ahn writes. "In 2012, we bet on mobile. While others were focused on mobile companion apps for websites, we decided to build mobile-first because we saw it was the future," von Ahn adds. "We're making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI." The announcement comes a year after Duolingo laid off close to 10% of its contractors after adopting AI for translation tasks. With a more aggressive adoption of AI, the company aims to gradually stop using contractors for work AI can handle. They'll also be using AI for hiring and performance reviews. "Headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work," says von Ahn. Duolingo's futuristic approach, though aggressive and urgent, takes into consideration the nascency of the tech it's betting heavily on. "Being Al-first means we will need to rethink much of how we work. Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there," von Ahn says. "We can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect. We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment."

Duolingo ditches more contractors in 'AI-first' refocus

Luis von Ahn says small quality hits are a price worth paying to ride the wave Duolingo has become the latest tech outfit to declare itself 'AI-first,' with CEO Luis von Ahn telling staff the biz will gradually phase out contractors for work AI can take over. In the letter, which Duolingo shared on LinkedIn, von Ahn told employees the language-learning outfit would "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," warning that "small hits on quality" were an acceptable price to pay for moving quickly in the AI arms race. This isn't the first time the Pittsburgh-based biz has begun cutting contractors in favor of AI, having started shedding content creation roles last year -- a move von Ahn referenced in his latest letter. The CEO didn't explain in the letter which teams or projects would be affected by this latest round of replacing contractors with AI, and Duolingo didn't respond to questions for this story. In addition to the contractor cuts, Duolingo said it's also going to begin evaluating AI use for hiring and employee performance reviews. The letter also explained that new roles would only be approved if a team can prove that the work couldn't be automated, in a nod to a similar policy announced by Shopify's CEO, and that initiatives would be forthcoming to "fundamentally change" how "most functions" at the company work. As Duolingo echoed last year when we reported its contractor reduction in favor of AI, the outfit maintains that it's doing so for the benefit of its employees. We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment "This isn't about replacing Duos with AI," von Ahn said, "It's about removing bottlenecks so we can do more ... we want you to focus on creative work and real problems, not repetitive tasks." The letter also states the language learning firm is embracing AI the same way it embraced a mobile-first approach more than a decade ago, a move that von Ahn said was pivotal to the language-learning outfit's success. "Betting on mobile made all the difference," von Ahn explained in the letter. "We're making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI." The Duolingo chief further explained that he didn't consider AI to be "just a productivity boost," but a whole new way of doing business that means the company will need to rethink much of how its systems are structured, not just integrate AI into existing processes. "In many cases, we'll need to start from scratch," von Ahn explained. He noted that some elements of the transformation will take time, but stressed that Duolingo wasn't going to wait for AI to be perfect before jumping in. "We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment," von Ahn noted. Whether AI will have the massive success that Duolingo expects it to bring to the company is questionable: A recent paper found that AI has had minimal impact on jobs or wages, suggesting that massive AI investments aren't having the economic impact that companies have expected. One finding from the researchers was that the actual time savings from AI tools were far smaller than expected, with users reporting only a 2.8 percent reduction in work hours - raising the question of whether Duolingo is ultimately wasting its employees' time by pressuring them to adopt a tool with little real-world evidence of its promised benefits. ®

Duolingo More Than Doubles Courses as 'AI-First' Push Draws Heat

Even by Silicon Valley standards, Duolingo Inc. has set itself apart with its aggressive push to infuse artificial intelligence into all corners of its business while also openly acknowledging humans may no longer be needed for certain roles. On Wednesday, Duolingo signaled that approach is helping to rapidly expand its language-learning courses, even as it puts the company at the center of a white-hot debate over AI's impact on the labor market and the quality of the work the technology produces.

Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI

Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first," the company has announced -- aka it will drop employees in favor of using AI. In a publicly shared email, CEO Luis von Ahn outlined how Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." This follows the company's January 2024 decision to cut 10 percent of its contractors, in part because AI could do their tasks. In the email, von Ahn points to Duolingo's "need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP." The CEO claims that Duolingo still "cares deeply about its employees" but that it needs to remove bottlenecks to best utilize them. To that end, it will be looking for experience using AI both in hiring and when doing performance reviews. In the email, von Ahn admits that AI is far from perfect -- wow, who knew? But, he states that Duolingo should move with urgency, rather than wait and take "occasional small hits" quality-wise. We'll have to wait and see what these AI-powered prompts will look like as a result.

Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI for content creation

Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first," the company has announced -- aka it will drop employees in favor of using AI. In a publicly shared email, CEO Luis von Ahn outlined how Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." This follows the company's January 2024 decision to cut 10 percent of its contractors, in part because AI could do their tasks. In the email, von Ahn points to Duolingo's "need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP." The CEO claims that Duolingo still "cares deeply about its employees" but that it needs to remove bottlenecks to best utilize them. To that end, it will be looking for experience using AI both in hiring and when doing performance reviews. In the email, von Ahn admits that AI is far from perfect -- wow, who knew? But, he states that Duolingo should move with urgency, rather than wait and take "occasional small hits" quality-wise. We'll have to wait and see what these AI-powered prompts will look like as a result.

Duolingo now plans to use AI instead of new hires or contractors where possible

Duolingo, the popular language-learning app, has set out its intention to become an "AI-first" company, with a plan to radically alter its hiring policies in the name of productivity and scale. In an internal email penned by CEO Luis von Ahn to all staff shared by the official Duolingo LinkedIn account, it was revealed that the company plans to push this mindset with a handful of "constructive constraints" to aid the transition. "When there's a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait," von Ahn writes, citing the company's successful forward-thinking bet on mobile in 2012 as proof that early adoption can reap huge rewards. "Betting on mobile made all the difference. We're making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI," he continued. For von Ahn, the adoption of AI isn't optional, but something essential to Duolingo's mission. "To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale," he explains. "One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP." As a result, the memo represents an edict about how employees should think about artificial intelligence moving forward. Work "that AI can handle" that is currently farmed out to contractors will be phased out, and use of artificial intelligence will become both a metric in the hiring and performance review processes. Additionally, teams won't be allowed to increase their employee headcount if they can automate more of the workload, and "most functions will have specific initiatives to fundamentally change how they work". Duolingo isn't the first company to see AI as a transformation worthy of changing employment practices. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke publicly shared a similar memo he had sent, revealing that teams will have to prove a job can't be automated before any new hires are approved. This is likely to be a trend we see over the next few months, and last month, Bill Gates predicted that almost every job would ultimately be replaced by AI. Despite the overt replacement of human labor with artificial intelligence, von Ahn writes that the business "will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees". These steps aren't about "replacing Duos with AI", von Ahn insists, but rather a means of "removing bottlenecks so we can do more with outstanding Duos we already have." The bet on moving to mobile in 2012 was a daring one that proved to be correct. As van Ahn notes, Duolingo went on to win Apple's iPhone App of the Year award in 2013, and the subsequent boost in users is what took the brand to the next level. All the same, a similar big bet on AI when it's still prone to embarrassing errors and hallucinations is a huge gamble -- especially if there are ultimately fewer humans to spot the mistakes. With that in mind, one line from the memo may ultimately be quoted unflatteringly in future: "We can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect. We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment."

Duolingo Announces Plans to Replace as Many Human Workers as Possible With AI

The gamified, owl-mascoted language learning app Duolingo is completing its "AI-first" pivot -- and replacing all its human contractors along the way. In an all-hands email that was later posted on LinkedIn, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn announced that the company would "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." Part of that shift, von Ahn wrote, will involve deploying the tech before it's "100 percent perfect." "We're not going to rebuild everything overnight, and some things -- like getting Al to understand our codebase-will take time," the CEO wrote. "However, we can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect. We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment." Along with "gradually" offloading all its human contractors, Duolingo will also, per von Ahn's timeline, use knowledge of AI when hiring and in performance reviews. Folks online have found the language app's shift towards AI pretty duo-plicitious -- especially because Duolingo has been using AI for years now. As one user on the r/Technology subreddit noted, Duolingo already appears to use "AI pronunciations for Irish" and "sacked the contractor" or contractors that built it out. That user isn't the first to make that claim -- two years ago, folks on the Duolingo subreddit pointed out that the voices for Irish (the term folks in Ireland and its diaspora use for Gaelic) seemed to be "computer generated" and, basically, crappy. A few months later, a company spokesperson confirmed that translators had indeed been fired in favor of AI. Over on Bluesky, sentiments were similar. "The best time to delete Duolingo was when they first included AI shit," one user quipped. "The second best time is now." With news of the app pivoting even further in favor of AI, there is a good case to be made that Duolingo's gamified model was never really that helpful for language learning to begin with. "Last year I replaced Duolingo with actual studying," another Bluesky-er posted, "and you can too."

Duolingo Is Adopting an 'AI-first' Approach, Says CEO Luis von Ahn - Decrypt

The CEO of Duolingo has said the company plans to adopt an "AI-first" approach to work. This means the language learning app is going to "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," according to CEO Luis von Ahn. The message went out in an email to all staff before being posted to the Duolingo LinkedIn account. Despite this bold claim, von Ahn was clear to say that, "Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees" and that "this isn't about replacing Duos with AI." The focus is to remove what he calls bottlenecks in order to allow employees to focus on more creative work and problems. The idea being to prevent human workers from wasting time on repetitive tasks. A specific example given in the memo was a recent move to replace slow, manual content creation with AI -- something which the CEO claimed would have taken the company years to scale up otherwise. The statement from von Ahn points out how the wider adoption of AI across the business may work, saying: "Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there. In many cases, we'll need to start from scratch. "We're not going to rebuild everything overnight, and some things -- like getting AI to understand our codebase -- will take time. However, we can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect. We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment." A similar memo went out recently from the Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke. In this message he made the point of saying that before staff could demand more resources or support, they must first show why they can't achieve their goals already by using AI. As pointed out in a recent Decrypt article, AI could represent a lucrative space to work in - short term at least. AI jobs are paying on average 77% more than other jobs, with entry-level paying more than twice the average salary.

Duolingo goes all-in on AI and cuts contractor roles

Duolingo will "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," according to an all-hands email sent by co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn, announcing the company's shift to being "AI-first." The email was posted on Duolingo's LinkedIn account on April 28, 2025. Von Ahn stated that being "AI-first" means the company will need to "rethink much of how we work" and that "making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there." As part of this shift, Duolingo will implement several changes, including altering its use of contractors, incorporating AI use into hiring and performance reviews, and only granting headcount if a team cannot automate more of their work. The decision is aimed at removing bottlenecks and allowing employees to focus on creative work and real problems rather than repetitive tasks. Von Ahn emphasized that "AI isn't just a productivity boost; it helps us get closer to our mission." He cited the recent replacement of a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI as an example, stating that without AI, it would take the company decades to scale its content to more learners. Von Ahn's email followed a similar memo from Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who required teams to show why they couldn't achieve their goals using artificial intelligence before requesting more headcount or resources. Duolingo's CEO assured that the company will remain committed to its employees, providing them with more training, mentorship, and tooling for AI in their functions. The changes will be guided by several "constructive constraints," including: Von Ahn expressed confidence that this shift will be a positive step for Duolingo, enabling the company to better deliver on its mission and stay ahead of the curve in using AI technology.

Here's How Duolingo's CEO Translates AI Use In the Workplace

Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of the popular Pittsburgh-based language learning app Duolingo, just declared he's firmly in the first camp, in a letter to staff explaining that the company is pivoting to being entirely "AI-first." But as technology news site The Verge points out, this workplace shift is actually going to cost some contractors their employment. The shift will also affect how some of his teams can hire new staff members. Von Ahn's email is pretty clear. He wants AI tools embedded deeply into Duolingo's operations because "AI is already changing how work gets done. It's not a question of if or when. It's happening now." And he wants changes to happen fast, because, "When there's a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait." The changes will include having his team "rethink much of how we work," because simply "making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us" to the efficient future he imagines. One way this will happen is by "gradually" stopping using contractors to do typical duties "that AI can handle." Von Ahn is echoing sentiments expressed by numerous other corporate leaders embracing AI tech -- including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who indicated recently he plans to overhaul the coding teams that make Meta's digital products by firing some "mid level" workers and outright replacing them with AI, as an efficiency and cost-cutting measure.

Duolingo going 'AI-first', replacing contractors with artificial intelligence: CEO

The death of Duolingo's beloved mascot, Duo the Owl, was part of a campaign to see which countries could earn the most experience points to save Duo. Duolingo is "going to be AI-first," the educational technology company announced, adding that it is replacing contract workers with artificial intelligence. In an all-hands email from CEO Luis von Ahn, which Duolingo shared April 28 on LinkedIn, he said the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-headquartered company will "shift to AI." Ahn likened the change to how the business bet on mobile in 2012, which he said "made all the difference," as the decision led to Duolingo's app winning the 2013 iPhone App of the Year and ultimately growing its platform. "AI is already changing how work gets done. It's not a question of if or when. It's happening now," Ahn's email reads. "When there's a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait." Throughout the email, Ahn describes how Duolingo will transition to becoming a more AI-focused company, including not using "contractors to do work that AI can handle." Trump's executive order on AI Duolingo's decision comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 23 to bring artificial intelligence into K-12 schools to better prepare youth for using the advanced and rapidly growing technology. "By fostering AI competency, we will equip our students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society," the White House said in a news release. "Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement." How else will Duolingo integrate AI? According to Ahn's email, Duolingo will also integrate AI into its hiring process, performance reviews, work processes, and "specific initiatives" to fundamentally change how employees work. "AI isn't just a productivity boost. It helps us get closer to our mission," Ahn's email reads. "To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn't scale." Ahn also referenced how AI will help build features like "Video Call," which he said will allow for the advanced technology "for the first time ever" to teach "as well as the best human tutors within our reach." "Being AI-first means we will need to rethink much of how we work. Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there," Ahn wrote in the email. Duolingo will move with urgency to become "AI-first,' despite the technology not being "100% perfect," Ahn added. He acknowledged this tactic could lead to some "occasional small hits on quality," but he said the company "can't wait." Duolingo still 'cares deeply about its employees' While the announcement could lead to less work and possible opportunities, Ahn said, "Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees." "This isn't about replacing Duos with AI," the CEO wrote in the email. "It's about removing bottlenecks so we can do more with the outstanding Duos we already have." According to Ahn, current employees will be provided "more training, mentorship and tooling for AI." "Change can be scary, but I'm confident this will be a great step for Duolingo," he added.

Duolingo's AI Ambitions May Come at a Cost to Contractors

The company will also evaluate employees based on their AI usage Duolingo, the ed-tech platform focused on teaching languages, mathematics, and music, is making a decisive pivot towards becoming an AI-first company. On Monday, the company published an all-hands email from its CEO, Luis von Ahn, which highlighted the company's vision for the near future. A major focus of this shift would be to phase out the company's contract workers with artificial intelligence (AI) tools, looking for AI skills in future hires, and making AI usage a part of the employees' evaluation process. The company shared the email from the CEO in a post on LinkedIn. Addressed to the employees, the email stated that the company was planning a pivot to become AI-first, marking a move similar to the one taken in 2012. Just one year after its inception, the company decided to become mobile-first instead of website-first, noticing the rise of the technology. Calling them "constructive constraints," the CEO listed several new measures that will be taken as part of the company's AI-first vision. The shift will include Duolingo's reduction in using contract workers for work that can be managed by AI. Additionally, the company also plans to make AI skills a key hiring criterion and performance evaluations to include the usage of the technology. Departments will not be allowed to hire more team members unless they cannot fuel additional workload via AI. To make the transition to AI seamless, the company also plans to add specific AI-based incentives for different functions. Von Ahn highlighted that a fundamental restructuring of the organisation is necessary, as minor adjustments to existing workflows will not be sufficient. One of the main goals of the AI-first strategy is to use the technology to exponentially scale the content that is used to teach different languages and courses to the users of the platform. "Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP," he added. Despite the risks, the CEO urged the company to act with urgency rather than waiting for the technology to be perfected. Highlighting some of the time-consuming processes of becoming AI-first, von Ahn said it will use AI teaching models to understand the codebase of the Duolingo platform. This will likely be done to ensure that the AI-generated content is in line with the platform's learning structure and quality. Von Ahn said that despite the transition, existing employees will be provided with AI-focused training, mentorship, and tool use, the CEO claimed that the strategy is not about replacing employees with AI, and instead, it is about eliminating repetitive tasks so employees can focus on creative work and real-world problem solving. Goldman Sachs (via BBC) claimed in 2023 that AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. Separately, a McKinsey report in the same year claimed that 14 percent of the global workforce (roughly 375 million workers) could be forced to change their career because of AI.

'Gradually Stop Using Contractors': Duolingo Is Replacing Contract Workers With AI

The company also plans to prioritize the use of AI in hiring and performance reviews. Duolingo is adopting an "AI-first" approach to its business, and the language learning platform will reduce its reliance on human contract workers as it assigns AI their responsibilities. In a memo to employees on Monday, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn detailed the company's official "AI-first" stance. "AI is already changing how work gets done," Ahn wrote in an email publicly shared through Duolingo's LinkedIn account. "When there's a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait." As part of its AI-first strategy, Duolingo will shift workloads from contractors to AI and "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," per the email. The company will also reward AI use in hiring new employees and in performance reviews of existing employees. Teams will additionally only be permitted to hire new members if the group cannot automate the work. Related: 'Make Chess as Accessible as Possible': Duolingo's Next Move Is Teaching Users How to Play Chess Duolingo has eliminated contract workers in favor of AI before. Last year, the company cut 10% of its contractors after reportedly deciding to use AI for translations. However, Ahn reassured staff in the email that "Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees," and that being AI-first wasn't about "replacing" workers with AI but about allowing existing employees to focus on creative work and problem-solving over repetitive tasks. The company said that it would support staff with full-time staff training, mentorship, and AI tools. Ahn also explained why Duolingo was choosing to go all-in on AI now. He stated in the email that Duolingo bet big on mobile in 2012, focusing on creating a mobile-first app at a time when mobile apps were primarily companions for full-fledged websites. The move worked out well: Duolingo's app won the 2013 iPhone App of the Year with 10 million downloads and grew organically after that. Now, Duolingo has over 500 million registered users. "This time the platform shift is AI," he wrote in the email. Related: 'Get 100X the Work Done': Shopify CEO Tells Employees to Try AI to Get Work Done Before Asking for More Human Workers Duolingo is focusing on AI by using it to create content and power features like Video Call, which Duolingo introduced in September. Video Call allows learners to practice speaking in their target language through a video chat with an AI character named Lily. Duolingo isn't the first company to recently announce an AI-first strategy. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke told all employees in a memo that "using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify." Lutke told Shopify staff that they should maximize what they could do with AI before asking for more resources or additional human employees. He also said that Shopify would add AI use questions to its performance and peer reviews.

Duolingo CEO sparks outrage with 'AI-First' shift: Is the owl phasing out people power for automation?

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn announced the company's shift to an "AI-first" model, replacing contractor roles and integrating AI into hiring and performance reviews. Despite assurances of employee care, the move sparked backlash, with critics accusing the company of prioritizing automation over people. Many fear this will compromise language learning quality and undermine Duolingo's human-centric mission.In a digital world where buzzwords often outshine empathy, Duolingo's latest move has struck a nerve. The language-learning giant, known as much for its eccentric social media persona as its owl mascot, is now under fire after announcing a bold new strategy: becoming an "AI-first" company. But behind the sleek jargon and tech optimism lies a growing unease -- among employees, contractors, and loyal users alike. The announcement came not through a flashy product launch but via a sober all-hands email from CEO Luis von Ahn, later shared on LinkedIn. In it, he compared this pivot to the company's 2012 decision to go mobile-first -- a move that helped propel Duolingo to global fame. But this time, the pivot involves something far more contentious: replacing human contractors with artificial intelligence. "We'll gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle," the email stated. Furthermore, Duolingo will begin assessing AI usage in hiring decisions and performance reviews. Headcount, von Ahn noted, will only be increased if a team cannot automate more of its tasks. While framed as a strategic evolution to scale content faster and boost innovation, the language of "removing bottlenecks" and "rethinking how we work" quickly overshadowed the CEO's assurance that "Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees." The backlash was swift. Social media users, especially on LinkedIn and Reddit, criticized the company for what many saw as a thinly veiled displacement of workers. One commenter lamented: "Nice touch burying human acknowledgement at the bottom. High praise for forgetting that language connects humans." Another wrote, "I trusted Duolingo would be better and more people-focused than this." A third user highlighted quality concerns already plaguing less-popular language courses, warning that further automation might degrade user experience. "I support employees over AI, always," they added. The core of the public's frustration appears to stem from a perceived disconnect between Duolingo's mission -- bringing language learning to all -- and the impersonal nature of AI replacing the very people who help deliver that mission. Critics argue that using AI to cut human input from a product so intrinsically tied to human connection undermines the essence of language learning itself. This isn't the first time a major company has flirted with large-scale AI integration, but Duolingo's transition hits a unique chord. Language is deeply personal. It's cultural, emotional, and often messy -- everything AI still struggles to grasp with nuance. While AI tools can generate flashcards and even simulate conversations, critics question whether they can truly replicate the warmth, creativity, and adaptability that human educators and editors bring. Von Ahn insists the goal is not to replace "Duos" -- as employees are affectionately called -- but to free them from repetitive tasks and reassign them to more creative work. However, the optics of cutting contractor roles while demanding AI integration in performance metrics has many wondering if this is efficiency for progress' sake or a calculated cost-saving measure. As Duolingo races to stay ahead in a rapidly shifting AI landscape, the company may have unintentionally stumbled into a deeper conversation -- one about the human cost of innovation. For now, the owl still hoots, but the question remains: Will it continue to champion learning for all, or will it fly too close to the algorithmic sun? In a world increasingly driven by code and computation, Duolingo's next lessons may not just be in language -- but in listening.

Duolingo to stop hiring contractors and replace them with AI

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn has announced that the app will be focusing on AI, betting on the technology for the future. Considering the controversy that occurs whenever those two letters are combined, you can be sure this announcement sparked quite the outrage. In a company-wide e-mail posted on LinkedIn, Ahn reveals that contractors are going to be phased out, as it is believed AI can do their work for them. AI will also be introduced into the hiring process, will evaluate performance reviews, and most functions are going to fundamentally change with the introduction of the new technology. The Duolingo CEO compares betting on AI to betting on mobile back in 2012, which led to the app's success. "Change can be scary," writes the man who will remain unaffected by it. "But I'm confident this will be a great step for Duolingo. It will help us better deliver on our mission." Some believe this to be a positive change for the company, but others in the comments of the LinkedIn post are labelling this a red flag, and say they will take their learning elsewhere.

Duolingo To Gradually Replace Its Contractors With AI

Duolingo will gradually stop using contractors to do work that artificial intelligence (AI) can perform, Luis von Ahn, CEO of the language learning platform, said in an email. The company shared the email's screenshot on LinkedIn and said that Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first". Similarly, the CEO of Shopify also said, in an internal memo, that teams must first show that AI cannot perform the particular task before hiring new employees. According to the email, the company will be rolling out some "constructive constraints" that will enable its shift to being "AI-first." Von Ahn said: "We'll gradually stop using contractors to do work that Al can handle." He also remarked that AI use will be part of what Duolingo looks for in hiring and what it evaluates in performance reviews. "Headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work," Von Ahn's email stated. He added that most functions will have specific initiatives to essentially change how they work. In the email, Von Ahn also pointed out that AI is not just a "productivity boost" for the company, and that it helps in building features like video calls. Without AI, the Duolingo CEO believes that it would take the company "decades to scale" its content. "Being AI-first means we will need to rethink much of how we work. Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there. In many cases, we'll need to start from scratch. We're not going to rebuild everything overnight, and some things, like getting Al to understand our codebase, will take time. However, we can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect," Von Ahn said. Duolingo's announcement does not come as a surprise, as several companies have been moving in the same direction. In this context, a recent Forbes report said: "Estimates suggest that up to 60% of current jobs will require significant adaptation due to AI. Automation and intelligent systems will become an integral part of the workplace." This is not the first time a company has announced that it will not hire people for tasks that AI can perform. Recently, Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify, in an internal memo that he posted on X (formerly Twitter), asked the teams to explain why AI cannot perform a particular task for which it is hiring a new employee. The memo said: "Before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using Al. What would this area look like if autonomous Al agents were already part of the team? This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects." Earlier this month, Zomato laid off about 500 employees who were part of its Zomato Associate Accelerator Program (ZAAP) in Gurugram and Hyderabad, according to a report. Interestingly, the move came in the wake of the company launching its AI-powered customer support platform called Nugget that handles 80% of inquiries without human involvement. According to a 2023 Goldman Sachs report, generative AI could "expose" about 300 million full-time jobs to automation. "The boost to global labour productivity could also be economically significant, and we estimate that AI could eventually increase annual global GDP by 7%," the report added. This portends a trend in the job market where companies could eventually reduce hiring drives and rely more on AI for different tasks in pursuit of cost cutting. It also prompts people in this market to start upskilling to improve their chances of landing their desired job.