Duolingo CEO: 'It did not fit'
Duolingo’s CEO said the company pushed AI too far in some internal uses and acknowledged it 'did not fit,' adding the firm will stop using AI usage metrics to judge employees. (techradar.com)
Duolingo chief executive Luis von Ahn said the company pushed artificial intelligence too hard in some jobs and will stop judging employees on how much they use it. (aol.com) Von Ahn said on the Silicon Valley Girl podcast last week that some employees asked whether Duolingo wanted them to use artificial intelligence “for AI’s sake,” and he said, “at the end, we backtracked.” Fortune reported the company will now review people on results and work quality instead of artificial intelligence usage. (aol.com) (entrepreneur.com) The reversal comes less than a year after von Ahn’s April 28, 2025 memo declaring Duolingo “AI-first.” That policy said teams would be evaluated on artificial intelligence use, hiring would look for artificial intelligence fluency, and some contractor work would be phased out when software could do it. (finance.yahoo.com) (techradar.com) Duolingo’s retreat does not mean the company is stepping away from artificial intelligence in its product. The company has used large language models to build lessons faster since 2023 and rolled out features such as Video Call with Lily in April 2025 and Duolingo Max, a higher-priced tier powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4. (blog.duolingo.com 1) (blog.duolingo.com 2) (blog.duolingo.com 3) The change lands after a year of criticism from users and workers who said “AI-first” sounded like a plan to replace people. Von Ahn told the Financial Times in January 2025 that he “did not expect the blowback” after some users said they were deleting the app. (ft.com) (aol.com) Duolingo has tried to draw a line between automation and instruction quality. In a June 2024 company statement responding to backlash, a spokesperson said Duolingo did not see artificial intelligence as replacing employees and would remain accountable to learners. (pcmag.com) The company’s business has kept growing while the debate over automation played out. In its full-year 2025 shareholder letter, Duolingo said it passed 50 million daily active users and generated more than $1 billion in bookings. (investors.duolingo.com) Von Ahn’s latest position is narrower than a full reversal: use artificial intelligence where it helps, but do not force it where it slows people down. His own summary on the podcast was simpler: “I’m not going to force you.” (aol.com)
