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Language‑learning app Duolingo has publicly backtracked on its plans to pivot to AI after facing backlash from users, Fortune reports.
Last month, Duolingo announced it planned to become an “AI‑first” company, leaning on AI to generate its new content. The firm said it would slowly eliminate contract workers who do “work AI can handle,” after it axed a big chunk of its staff in 2024. A letter emailed to all Duolingo employees told staff: "Headcount will only increase if a team cannot automate more of its work."
Many of the app’s millions of users weren’t happy about the move. "So you’re giving back jobs to the people fired in favor of AI, or just trying to distract people?” one user wrote in response to an Instagram post by Duolingo addressing the change.
Another user quipped: “Hire linguists. Stop using AI.”
Days after announcing its pivot, Duolingo rolled out 148 new courses created using generative AI. The courses were mainly aimed at non-English speakers, who traditionally had fewer courses available on the app—for example, adding Japanese and Korean courses for native Spanish speakers.
But Duolingo now seems to have changed its tune, at least in terms of hiring. CEO Luis von Ahn wrote in a LinkedIn post earlier this week: “To be clear: I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do (we are, in fact, continuing to hire at the same speed as before). I see it as a tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality. And the sooner we learn how to use it—and use it responsibly—the better off we will be in the long run.”
Though many language learners obviously appreciate the human touch on their materials, Duolingo isn't the only one leaning toward AI for language education. Last month, Google applied its flagship Google Gemini AI model to create three new tools, dubbed Little Language Lessons, accessible via the Google Labs page. However, Google did dub the new set of tools as "just an early exploration."