Duolingo, the popular language-learning platform known for its playful owl mascot and bite-sized lessons, is taking a bold step into the future by committing to an “AI-first” strategy. In a company-wide email posted to LinkedIn, CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn laid out the company’s new direction: embrace artificial intelligence across all areas of operation, and gradually phase out contract work that AI can handle.
The shift signals a major evolution in how Duolingo intends to grow, innovate, and deliver education—faster and smarter. And while it may raise eyebrows, von Ahn says this isn’t about replacing people. It’s about freeing them up to do what humans do best: solve problems creatively.
AI Is No Longer an Option—It’s the Path Forward
For von Ahn, this move isn’t a leap into the unknown—it’s a natural progression. He compared today’s AI revolution to Duolingo’s strategic pivot toward mobile back in 2012. At a time when many companies were simply adapting their websites for mobile use, Duolingo went all-in and built a mobile-first app. That bold bet paid off handsomely and helped the company explode in popularity.
Now, von Ahn sees AI as the next game-changing platform. “AI is already reshaping how work is done,” he said. “Waiting around is the worst thing we could do.” According to him, being AI-first doesn’t mean slapping AI onto existing systems; it means rethinking the entire way the company operates.
Contractor Work to Be Replaced by Automation
One of the most immediate changes involves how Duolingo uses contractors. If a task can be automated, von Ahn says, the company will stop assigning it to contractors. This is part of a broader effort to remove repetitive, manual processes and replace them with smarter, AI-driven systems.
But that’s not all. Duolingo will now consider AI skills a key factor when hiring new employees. AI proficiency will also become part of how staff are evaluated in performance reviews. And if a team wants to expand, they’ll first need to prove that automation isn’t a viable alternative.
This approach echoes recent moves by other tech leaders like Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who told his team that AI should be explored before any new hiring is approved.
A Human-Centered Approach Amidst Tech Transformation
Even as Duolingo embraces automation, von Ahn is clear that the heart of the company remains its people. Employees—affectionately referred to as “Duos”—are not being replaced, he emphasized. Instead, the aim is to lift the burden of repetitive tasks off their shoulders, so they can focus on high-impact, creative work.
“This isn’t about cutting jobs or replacing Duos with machines,” von Ahn wrote. “It’s about removing bottlenecks.” He added that the company will offer training, mentorship, and tools to help employees thrive in an AI-enhanced environment.
The message is clear: AI is a partner, not a threat. And Duolingo wants to equip its team with the skills and support they need to grow with it.
Why AI Matters for Duolingo’s Mission
At the core of Duolingo’s mission is a simple but powerful idea: make high-quality education accessible to everyone. That’s a huge task—especially when it comes to creating learning content in dozens of languages. Doing it all manually, von Ahn admitted, simply doesn’t scale.
That’s why AI is such a game-changer. In one of the company’s most impactful recent decisions, Duolingo replaced a slow, manual content production process with an AI-powered system. The result? Faster content creation that could otherwise take decades to complete.
AI also enables features that once seemed out of reach. For instance, Duolingo is now experimenting with video call lessons powered by AI that mimic the effectiveness of top-tier human tutors. It’s a level of personalization and interactivity that wasn’t possible before.
Moving Fast, Even If It’s Imperfect
Of course, overhauling an entire company’s workflow doesn’t happen overnight. Some parts of the transition—like teaching AI to navigate Duolingo’s complex codebase—will take time. But von Ahn is urging his team not to wait for perfection. “We’d rather move quickly and make small sacrifices on quality than move too slowly and miss this moment,” he said.
The plan is to gradually roll out AI-led processes across most departments. Each function will have its own initiatives designed to rethink how work gets done from the ground up.
And while change can be unsettling, von Ahn ended his memo on an optimistic note. He believes this transformation will not only help Duolingo fulfill its mission but will also empower employees to lead the charge in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
“This is a great step for Duolingo,” he said. “It means staying ahead of the curve and getting things done better and faster—for our learners and for ourselves.”
