Duolingo backs off forcing AI use

Duolingo is dropping a plan to judge employees by how much they use artificial intelligence, after nearly a year of pushback over its “AI-first” policy. (aol.com) Chief executive Luis von Ahn said on the April 10 episode of the *Silicon Valley Girl* podcast that the company “backtracked” and would not force workers to use artificial intelligence when it does not fit their jobs. He said performance will be judged on whether employees do their jobs well, not on raw tool usage. (aol.com) That is a change from Duolingo’s April 28, 2025 memo, when von Ahn said the language-learning company would be “AI-first” and that artificial intelligence use would factor into hiring and performance reviews. The same memo said Duolingo would gradually stop using contractors for work that artificial intelligence could handle and would limit new headcount unless teams could show automation was not enough. (dataconomy.com) Duolingo’s earlier memo drew criticism from employees, contractors, and users who said the company was treating artificial intelligence as a target in itself rather than a tool. Von Ahn said some employees later asked whether Duolingo wanted them to use artificial intelligence “for AI’s sake.” (europesays.com) The company had already started softening its message in May 2025. In a follow-up clarification, von Ahn said Duolingo would keep hiring, would support employees with training and tools, and did not see artificial intelligence as replacing what full-time staff do. (entrepreneur.com) The dispute landed in a broader workplace debate that has spread across large technology companies. Recent coverage has pointed to firms including Meta and Google as companies weighing whether artificial intelligence use should be expected, taught, or tied to reviews. (msn.com) Duolingo’s management has argued that artificial intelligence still matters to its product and scale. In the 2025 memo, von Ahn compared the shift to Duolingo’s early move to mobile and said generative artificial intelligence had already helped the company expand course creation faster than manual processes allowed. (mindtheproduct.com) But the company also learned that public talk about automation can hit trust with users. Von Ahn told the *Financial Times* in June 2025 that he “did not expect the blowback” after customers said they were deleting the app over fears that jobs and lesson quality would suffer. (ft.com) The latest shift leaves Duolingo in a narrower position: still building with artificial intelligence, but no longer treating employee use of it as a score in itself. For workers, the message is simpler than last spring’s memo: ship the work, and use the tool when it helps. (aol.com)