In April 2025, Duolingo announced a bold and sweeping shift in strategy: it is now officially an “AI-first” company. This declaration signals far more than a tech upgrade—it represents a complete rethinking of how the language-learning giant operates. Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool to enhance human work; it has become the backbone of the organisation, driving its products, workflows and decisions from the ground up.
The implications are immediate and far-reaching. Tasks that can be efficiently handled by AI will no longer be outsourced to human contractors. This is particularly true for repeatable, scalable functions such as content generation, translation, and course development—areas once supported by a wide network of freelance contributors. Now, Duolingo’s AI systems are capable of producing high-quality educational material at unprecedented speed. In under a year, the company launched 148 new language courses—output that would have taken years using conventional methods. Human experts still play a vital role, but mainly in quality control, reviewing and refining what the AI has created.
But this transformation doesn’t stop at outsourcing. Hiring policies have been rewritten: teams must now demonstrate that a role cannot be automated before a new position is approved. Performance reviews are increasingly shaped by how effectively employees harness AI in their work. The bar has shifted—not just towards creativity, but towards AI fluency. Employees are expected not only to think critically and innovate, but to do so while integrating AI into their problem-solving.
The rationale behind this shift is as strategic as it is economic. Duolingo recently reported a 51% year-on-year increase in daily active users and record revenue—a clear signal that the AI-first approach is already bearing fruit. CEO Luis von Ahn sees this as a pivotal moment, likening it to the company’s shift to “mobile-first” back in 2012, which propelled Duolingo to global dominance. Now, with AI-first, the company is aiming for an even more scalable, efficient future—without compromising its core mission of teaching languages effectively to as many people as possible.
That said, Duolingo is not positioning AI as a replacement for human creativity, but as a means to elevate it. Repetitive, mechanical tasks are being automated so that employees can focus on complex, strategic, and human-centric challenges. Full-time staff are being reassigned, not replaced—at least for now. Contract workers, however, are already feeling the impact. In 2024, around 10% of them were let go following the rollout of AI-driven translation tools. More cuts are expected, though Duolingo claims each case is reviewed individually.
Internally, the shift to AI-first has been meticulously planned. Artificial intelligence now informs every corner of the business—from course development and content validation to new user features like video-based speaking practice, and internal systems for recruitment, planning, and performance tracking. The pace is fast, and the company is willing to accept the occasional dip in quality in exchange for rapid progress. Agility, not perfection, is the current priority.
Duolingo’s radical repositioning makes it a frontrunner in the next wave of educational technology. This is not a tentative pilot programme—it is a fundamental restructuring. It challenges traditional work models, shifts the focus from human production to machine-led scalability, and raises complex questions about the future of work, learning, and innovation. One thing is clear: Duolingo is no longer just changing how people learn languages. It is redefining how education itself is designed and delivered in an AI-driven world—with a clarity of purpose that few others in the industry are matching.
Post Picture: Duolingo
