Duolingo backs off AI reviews
Duolingo's CEO said the company backtracked on evaluating employees' AI use in performance reviews, according to Business Insider. A separate summary of Duolingo's 2025 performance notes AI features became central to premium strategy even as the company grew users and its stock declined. ( )
Duolingo has dropped a plan to judge employees on how much they use artificial intelligence in performance reviews, its chief executive said. (businessinsider.com) Business Insider reported on April 13 that Chief Executive Luis von Ahn said the company backed away after employees challenged the idea. The outlet said Duolingo is one of several tech companies debating whether artificial intelligence use should be mandatory at work. (businessinsider.com) The reversal lands less than a year after Duolingo made artificial intelligence a public priority. In its May 1, 2025 shareholder letter, the company said higher-priced plans such as Duolingo Max were helping bookings growth, while generative artificial intelligence costs were pressuring subscription margins. (sec.gov) That same quarter, Duolingo reported 46.6 million daily active users, 130.2 million monthly active users, and 10.3 million paid subscribers, all up sharply from a year earlier. Revenue rose to $230.7 million from $167.6 million, and total bookings reached $271.6 million. (sec.gov) By February 26, 2026, Duolingo said it had passed 50 million daily active users and generated more than $1 billion in 2025 bookings for the first time. Von Ahn said then that advances in artificial intelligence were “fundamentally reshaping” how people learn and that the company would prioritize user growth and teaching quality in 2026. (finance.yahoo.com) Investors have been less enthusiastic than users. Duolingo shares closed at $90.03 on April 10, 2026, down about 71% from the stock’s 52-week high of $544.93, according to market data. (finance.yahoo.com) The company has also had to explain how artificial intelligence fits into its business without replacing the parts of the app users value most. In 2025 filings, Duolingo described Duolingo Max as a premium tier that adds exercises powered by generative artificial intelligence on top of its Super Duolingo subscription. (stocklight.com) The latest change draws a line between using artificial intelligence in products and using it as a yardstick for workers. For now, Duolingo is still betting heavily on artificial intelligence in the app while stepping back from making it part of employee scorecards. (businessinsider.com)
