Duolingo is adopting an “AI-first” strategy to its enterprise, and the language studying platform will scale back its reliance on human contract staff because it assigns AI their duties.
In a memo to staff on Monday, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn detailed the corporate’s official “AI-first” stance.
“AI is already altering how work will get completed,” Ahn wrote in an electronic mail publicly shared by Duolingo’s LinkedIn account. “When there is a shift this massive, the worst factor you are able to do is wait.”
As a part of its AI-first technique, Duolingo will shift workloads from contractors to AI and “step by step cease utilizing contractors to do work that AI can deal with,” per the e-mail. The corporate may even reward AI use in hiring new staff and in efficiency opinions of present staff. Groups will moreover solely be permitted to rent new members if the group can’t automate the work.
Duolingo has eradicated contract staff in favor of AI earlier than. Final 12 months, the corporate minimize 10% of its contractors after reportedly deciding to make use of AI for translations.
Nonetheless, Ahn reassured workers within the electronic mail that “Duolingo will stay an organization that cares deeply about its staff,” and that being AI-first wasn’t about “changing” staff with AI however about permitting present staff to concentrate on inventive work and problem-solving over repetitive duties. The corporate mentioned that it will assist workers with full-time workers coaching, mentorship, and AI instruments.
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn. Picture by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs
Ahn additionally defined why Duolingo was selecting to go all-in on AI now. He acknowledged within the electronic mail that Duolingo wager massive on cell in 2012, specializing in making a mobile-first app at a time when cell apps have been primarily companions for full-fledged web sites. The transfer labored out properly: Duolingo’s app gained the 2013 iPhone App of the Yr with 10 million downloads and grew organically after that. Now, Duolingo has over 500 million registered customers.
“This time the platform shift is AI,” he wrote within the electronic mail.
Duolingo is specializing in AI by utilizing it to create content material and energy options like Video Name, which Duolingo launched in September. Video Name permits learners to observe talking of their goal language by a video chat with an AI character named Lily.
Duolingo is not the primary firm to not too long ago announce an AI-first technique. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke advised all staff in a memo that “utilizing AI successfully is now a basic expectation of everybody at Shopify.” Lutke advised Shopify workers that they need to maximize what they might do with AI earlier than asking for extra assets or further human staff.
He additionally mentioned that Shopify would add AI use inquiries to its efficiency and peer opinions.
Duolingo had a market capitalization of over $17 billion on the time of writing.
