6 days Ago By James Paul
Duolingo, the internet company that teaches language to over 110 million monthly active users with over 100 courses, is now going AI. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA-based company offers tutorials for over 43 languages, including Navajo and Welsh, among others, with gamification via its app. Co-founded by Luis von Ahn (current CEO), a Carnegie Mellon University professor whose second company, reCAPTCHA, was bought by Google, Duolingo was developed along with his student Severin Hacker (current CTO).
Besides language, the Duolingo edtech also teaches math, music, and chess, which started recently in April 2025. Duolingo’s pivot to AI comes in the wake of companies and laypeople alike adopting artificial intelligence tools for both personal and professional utilities. In its LinkedIn statement, the company shared the all-hands email from CEO Luis von Ahn that states, “ We are going to be AI first.
” It further remarks, “ Just like how betting on mobile in 2012 made all the difference, we’re making a similar call now. This time the platform shift is AI. What doesn't change: We will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees .
” Luis von Ahn’s mail remarks that their bet on mobile in 2012 led them to focus on mobile-first while others lagged behind trying to build mobile companion apps for websites. He states that this decision led them to win the 2013 iPhone App of the Year award. He quips, “ Betting on mobile made all the difference.
We’re making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI .” The Duolingo CEO clarifies in the mail that the AI shift is not merely to increase productivity but to scale content that is not possible manually. He writes that it would have taken decades to produce more content for the growing base of learners had it not been for AI.
While he realizes that with AI, understanding the huge Duolingo code base would not be an easy task, nonetheless, he remarks, “ We can’t wait until the technology is 100% perfect. ” He adds, “ We’ll rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment .” To make Duolingo's pivot as an AI-first company, the edtech will - gradually stop using contractors for work that AI can handle - seek AI use as a part of hiring - seek AI use in performance reviews - take headcount only if certain tasks can not be automated for more work The CEO adds a disclaimer that ' Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees.
" He reassured the current duos that they will not be replaced but rather supported with training and tooling for AI. He urged, " We want you to focus on creative work and real problems, not repetitive tasks ." The internet is worried that the quality of the material will take a toll without human intervention.
The loss of jobs is another ethical concern, especially for linguists, translators, coaches, and coders. With a wealth of data already at their disposal, the company will anyway leverage and might even brew an LLM in their yard. See Also: Prove AI Can’t Do The Job Before Expanding Team: Shopify CEO’s Memo On Hiring Divides The Internet See Also: Duolingo's Mascot Owl's Mystery Demise Triggers Hilarious Reactions From Dua Lipa, Netflix, Xbox, And Major Brands See Also: Duolingo Owl Resurrects After ‘Faking Death’ ; The Internet Reacts With Undertaker Memes Cover: Duolingo.
