Duolingo CEO on AI Replacing Humans

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In a recent interview, Duolingo's leadership shed light on how the language-learning company is strategically investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and what that means for its workforce, users, and educational offerings.

AI as a Catalyst for Innovation

Duolingo is channeling significant resources into AI-driven research and development. A standout example is the company’s new video call feature, where users can practice conversations with a virtual character named Lily. This innovation, made possible through AI, represents a leap in user interactivity and learning immersion.

"We're spending quite a bit on R&D for this," the executive explained. "We're also actively hiring to support this development."

Another key area of investment is content generation. AI now enables the rapid creation of educational content, allowing Duolingo to produce more courses with richer materials at a much faster pace.

"This means each course can have significantly more content, enabling us to serve more users more effectively," he said.

Enhancing Efficiency Without Downsizing

When asked about the impact of AI on staffing, Duolingo emphasized that their goal is not to replace employees, but to empower them.

"We’re not reducing our workforce," the executive clarified. "Instead, we're making our employees more efficient, freeing them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on more creative and meaningful work."

Concerns had arisen online following the announcement of 148 new AI-assisted courses, particularly regarding the role of human content creators. The executive responded to these concerns by noting a misunderstanding stemming from an internal email.

“If AI can do a job effectively, we're less likely to hire contractors for that specific task. But there’s no change for our full-time staff—we’re still investing in them.”

Expanding Learning Beyond Languages

Duolingo is also broadening its educational reach. The company recently introduced chess lessons, not as a game, but as a logical thinking skill.

"Chess improves cognitive abilities like logical reasoning," the executive explained. "We see it as a valuable educational subject, just like math or music."

While chess is the newest addition, there are no immediate plans to expand into other subjects or games.

“Our focus remains on existing offerings: language learning, math, music, and now chess.”

Can You Truly Learn a Language Through an App?

The conversation turned to the effectiveness of language learning apps, prompting a deeper reflection.

"What really matters is time spent actively engaging with the language," he said. "You can absolutely learn a language through Duolingo—scientific studies support that. But people often underestimate how long it takes."

To reach proficiency, a learner might need 500 hours for Spanish or up to 2,000 hours for Chinese. Duolingo’s strength, according to the company, lies in its ability to keep users motivated long enough to reach those milestones.