Duolingo, an ed-tech platform specializing in language, math, and music education, is taking a bold step toward becoming an AI-first company. On Monday, CEO Luis von Ahn shared an all-hands email outlining the company’s future direction. The strategy includes replacing contract workers with AI tools, prioritizing AI expertise in hiring, and integrating AI usage into employee performance evaluations.
Duolingo Intends to Replace Contractor Roles with AI Solutions
The company shared its CEO’s email in a LinkedIn post, addressing employees about its plan to transition into an AI-first organization. This strategic shift mirrors the company’s 2012 decision to prioritize mobile platforms over websites, recognizing emerging technological trends.
Referring to these changes as “constructive constraints,” the CEO outlined several initiatives under the AI-first strategy. These include reducing reliance on contract workers for tasks manageable by AI, emphasizing AI proficiency in hiring decisions, and incorporating AI usage into employee performance evaluations.
Departments will only be permitted to hire additional team members if workloads cannot be managed through AI. To ensure a smooth transition, the company plans to introduce AI-specific incentives tailored to various functions.
CEO Luis von Ahn emphasized that a complete organizational overhaul is essential, as minor tweaks to current workflows will not suffice. A key objective of the AI-first strategy is leveraging technology to rapidly scale the content used for teaching languages and courses on the platform. “Without AI, scaling our content to reach more learners would take decades. We owe it to our learners to deliver this content as soon as possible,” he stated.
Acknowledging the risks, von Ahn stressed the importance of acting swiftly rather than waiting for AI technology to reach perfection. He highlighted the need for AI teaching models to analyze Duolingo’s codebase, ensuring that AI-generated content aligns with the platform’s educational structure and quality standards.
Von Ahn emphasized that during the transition, current employees will receive AI-focused training, mentorship, and access to tools. He clarified that the strategy is not aimed at replacing employees with AI but rather at removing repetitive tasks, enabling staff to concentrate on creative projects and solving real-world challenges.
In 2023, Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could potentially replace 300 million full-time jobs. Meanwhile, a McKinsey report from the same year suggested that 14% of the global workforce, approximately 375 million people, might need to transition to new careers due to AI advancements.
