Duolingo is adopting an “AI-first” method to its enterprise, and the language studying platform will cut back its reliance on human contract staff because it assigns AI their tasks.
In a memo to workers on Monday, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn detailed the corporate’s official “AI-first” stance.
“AI is already altering how work will get performed,” 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 can even reward AI use in hiring new workers and in efficiency evaluations of present workers. Groups will moreover solely be permitted to rent new members if the group can’t automate the work.
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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.
Nevertheless, Ahn reassured employees within the electronic mail that “Duolingo will stay an organization that cares deeply about its workers,” and that being AI-first wasn’t about “changing” staff with AI however about permitting present workers to deal with artistic work and problem-solving over repetitive duties. The corporate stated that it might assist employees with full-time employees coaching, mentorship, and AI instruments.
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn. Picture by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures
Ahn additionally defined why Duolingo was selecting to go all-in on AI now. He said 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 effectively: Duolingo’s app gained the 2013 iPhone App of the 12 months 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.
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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 just lately announce an AI-first technique. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke informed all workers in a memo that “utilizing AI successfully is now a basic expectation of everybody at Shopify.” Lutke informed Shopify employees that they need to maximize what they may do with AI earlier than asking for extra sources or extra human workers.
He additionally stated that Shopify would add AI use inquiries to its efficiency and peer evaluations.
Duolingo had a market capitalization of over $17 billion on the time of writing.
