Duolingo goes 'AI first’ as it phases out human contractors

Language app’s sweeping AI shift sparks debate over job losses and learning quality

Duolingo is shifting to an “AI first” strategy that will see many of its contract workers replaced by artificial intelligence tools.

The company’s CEO, Luis von Ahn, informed staff of the decision in an internal memo, which was later shared on LinkedIn on Tuesday.

In the memo, Von Ahn stated that Duolingo will stop using contractors for tasks AI can handle, such as content creation and translation. The company will only approve new hires if teams can prove the work cannot be automated. AI will also play a role in recruitment and performance reviews, signalling a deep integration of automation across Duolingo’s operations.

In his message, von Ahn compares the current AI transition to Duolingo’s earlier move to mobile-first development, saying, “We’re making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI.” He argues that AI is not just a productivity tool but something that helps the company attain its 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 many years to expand our content for a larger audience,” von Ahn wrote.

Mixed reaction trail Duolingo’s AI-first push

Despite von Ahn's claims that “Duolingo will remain a company that cares about its employees” and that “this isn’t about replacing Duos [employees] with AI”, the announcement has sparked criticism from users.

One LinkedIn user questioned, “Are hallucination errors considered in this?” referring to the known flaws in AI-generated content.

Another user argued that Duolingo’s move is ironic to its mission, saying, “How ironic, that a company dedicated to helping people communicate has decided to focus on helping machines replace people, and communicates it so poorly.”

This bold AI bet brings to mind Duolingo’s January 2024 decision to lay off around 10% of its contracted content creators. The only difference between that and its latest move is that this time, the language app has not put numbers on how many jobs will be affected.

It also follows a broader trend in the tech industry where companies are increasingly turning to AI to boost efficiency and reduce headcount. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke said the company would no longer hire for roles that AI could perform. In 2023, IBM paused hiring for thousands of back-office roles it believes AI will eventually replace.