Duolingo’s CEO, Luis von Ahn, announced that the language learning app is moving towards “AI first.” In an email to Duolingo employees, the CEO said the company will “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle.”

Duolingo’s AI First Approach

In the email, which was also posted on Duolingo’s LinkedIn profile, von Ahn explains that the “AI first” approach means the company needs to “rethink much of how we work.” He also said, “Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won’t get us there.”

Von Ahn explains that the “rethinking” process includes changes to how the company works with contractors. Additionally, von Ahn says, Duolingo will be a part of what they look for in hiring and performance reviews. The CEO also mentions that more headcount will only be given if employees cannot automate more of their work.

Von Ahn explains that some changes will take time, such as getting AI to understand the company’s codebase. “However, we can’t wait until the technology is 100% perfect,” he said in his email. “We’d rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment.”

He explained that this change isn’t about replacing Duos (Duolingo employees) with AI, it’s about removing “bottlenecks” so that the company can “do more” with its current employees. “We want you to focus on creative work and real problems, not repetitive tasks.”

Duolingo users, on the other hand, did not take this news lightly.

Reactions From Duolingo Users

In a post, X.com user, @dreamosauras said, “Duolingo is in the news this week for going AI — but they’ve been doing it for a year already. Unsubscribe, delete your accounts, never use the app again. Language is people.”

Several users expressed their feelings about the “AI first” announcement, with language being a critical part of humans. User @LauraNeuzeth said, “Bye bye Duolingo! Language is what humans use to speak with one another.”

Many users have encouraged people who disagree with Duolingo’s move to seek other platforms to learn a new language, and explained that public libraries have multiple language-learning resources. There is even a Reddit thread where users post alternative apps to Duolingo.

“Change can be scary, but I’m confident this will be a great step for Duolingo,” van Ahn said to close his announcement email. “It will help us better deliver on our mission — and for Duos, it means staying ahead of the curve in using this technology to get things done.”