'AI-first': Duolingo plans to cut contractor roles

'Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees,' CEO says

BY Dexter Tilo 30 Apr 2025

Major changes are coming to Duolingo's workforce recruitment and management as the language-learning website and application shifts to an "AI-first" organisation.

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn told employees about the move in an all-hands email, which was also shared on the organisation's LinkedIn page.

"I want to make it official: Duolingo is going to be AI-first," von Ahn announced.

The CEO said being an AI-first firm will need a rethink about how much the company will work. Among the changes that they will roll out as part of the shift are:

Gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle
Including AI use in what is looked for in hiring
Including AI use in performance review evaluations

Von Ahn said most functions will have specific initiatives to change how they work, with headcount only to be given to a team that cannot automate more of their work.

Replacing employees with AI

Duolingo's announcement follows reports in 2024 that it offboarded 10% of its contractors as part of its shift towards AI, according to Tech.co.

These developments come in the wake of concerns around the world that AI will eventually replace human workers. A number of employers around the world have validated these fears by announcing AI-triggered layoffs, such as:

UK-based telecommunications giant BT plans to replace 10,000 employees with AI as part of a larger reduction of 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade, according to a BBC report.
Indian e-commerce firm Dukaan also replaced 90% of its support staff with AI in 2023.
Fintech firm Klarna also ceased hiring in 2023 as it hiked adoption of AI that can automate tasks previously handled by employees, the International Business Times reported.

Findings from ResumeBuilder also revealed that 37% of employers laid off staff in 2023 because they were no longer needed due to AI use.

Not about replacing staff

But von Ahn assured that their recent AI-first shift isn't about replacing employees with AI.

"All of this said, Duolingo will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees," the CEO said. "It's about removing bottlenecks so we can do more with the outstanding Duos we already have."

According to the CEO, the organisation wants its staff to focus on "creative work and real problems" and not on repetitive tasks.

"We're going to support you with more training, mentorship, and tooling for AI in your function," the company said.

Some of Duolingo's use cases for AI include the content creation process, as well as building the video call feature.

"AI isn't just a productivity boost. It helps us get closer to our mission," von Ahn said.

Duolingo's AI-first move follows the company's previous mobile-first strategy, according to von Ahn, which led to it being the 2013 iPhone App of the Year.

"Betting on mobile made all the difference. We're making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI," he said.