Duolingo to replace contractors with AI, as its moves to become ‘AI-first’ company

Language learning app Duolingo announces it is moving toward ‘AI-first,’ as CEO says the company will stop working with contractors on any tasks that can now be completed by AI.

Image: Duolingo

Sharing an email sent to all staff on LinkedIn, Duolingo’s CEO Luis von Ahn says: “Duolingo is going to be AI-first,” adding that the company will be gradually stop using contractors “to do work that AI can handle”.

Comparing the move to Duolingo’s decision to focus on its mobile app in 2012, von Ahn adds: “Betting on mobile made all the difference. We’re making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI.”

Thanks to AI, von Ahn claims “teaching as well as the best human tutors is within our reach”. 

As a result, Duolingo says it is now making “a few constructive constraints” to help the company toward its AI-first shift. This includes ceasing work with contractors for any tasks that can be completed by AI. 

“Headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work,” von Ahn says, adding that “most functions” at the company will be given specific initiatives to “fundamentally change” the way they work as a result of the shift.

Duolingo will also look at AI use in employee performance reviews and within in its hiring process.

Claiming that Duolingo remains a company that “cares deeply” about its employees, von Ahn adds: “This isn’t about replacing Duos with AI. It’s about removing bottlenecks so we can do more with the outstanding Duos we already have.”

He also says Duolingo staff will be supported with additional training, mentorship, and tooling for use of AI in their functions. “Change can be scary, but I’m confident this will be a great step for Duolingo. It will help us better deliver on our missions – and for Duos, it means staying ahead of the curve in using this technology to get things done,” von Ahn adds.

Earlier this year, Duolingo English Test (DET) partnered with Sumsub to enhance fraud prevention and identity verification for its online language proficiency test. The deal added AI-driven security measures to DET’s existing verification process, addressing the growing risks of deepfakes, forged documents, and fraud networks.