2 days Ago By Kahekashan
Duolingo is diving headfirst into artificial intelligence, with plans to replace contract-based roles that can be automated through AI. In a recent all-hands email, co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn declared the company’s new direction: becoming “AI-first.” The announcement, shared on Duolingo’s LinkedIn, outlines major changes in how the company will operate moving forward.
�Duolingo’s Post on LinkedIn“We can't wait until the technology is 100% perfect,” von Ahn wrote in the memo. “We'd rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment.” This shift means Duolingo will begin phasing out contractors where AI can take over tasks efficiently.
According to von Ahn, decisions around hiring and team growth will now hinge on whether the work can be automated. The company's internal structure will evolve accordingly—teams will only get additional headcount if automation isn't feasible. This isn’t the first time Duolingo has leaned into AI.
The company previously cut about 10% of its contract workforce in early 2024 due to its use of AI-generated educational content, with similar reductions occurring in 2023. However, von Ahn was clear that full-time employees are not at risk. "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 stated. Duolingo has also been public about its AI enthusiasm. In one memorable earnings call last year, the company opened with a segment featuring Lily, an AI chatbot modelled after a purple-haired character from the app.
Von Ahn joked, “Over time, she's going to do more and more of my job, and I can just retire.” The company’s aggressive embrace of AI appears to be paying off—its stock has jumped 68% over the past year, fueled in part by growth in its paid subscription tiers. Duolingo is also branching out from language learning, testing new verticals like chess and music courses.
First-quarter earnings are expected this Thursday. Von Ahn isn’t the only tech leader pushing AI as essential. Earlier this month, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed concern that too few employees at his company know how to use AI, prompting new training programs.
“Learning to use AI agents to code is going to be an absolute necessity at Uber within a year,” he said. Similarly, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke clarified that AI proficiency is now expected of all employees. He stated that teams must prove they can’t accomplish tasks with AI before requesting more staff.
Von Ahn’s message closely echoed Lütke’s stance. Even LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman backed this sentiment, saying that every leader—regardless of company size—should integrate AI into daily operations and maintain regular check-ins on AI usage..
