Duolingo’s AI push sparks backlash but CEO says change is essential

Duolingo’s AI push sparks backlash but CEO says change is essential

Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, is candid about the limitations of artificial intelligence. “I’m not going to claim CEOs are that special,” he says, but AI is not yet capable of providing human leadership or vision. That hasn’t stopped a storm of controversy after Duolingo announced it was going “AI-first”—a move von Ahn says was misunderstood by many users, the Financial Times reported.

Public backlash over AI-first message

Von Ahn’s internal message to staff about the new strategy triggered a fierce response when he posted it publicly on LinkedIn last month. Some users accused the company of replacing human workers with machines. “Cancelling my account NOW,” one user wrote. Another lamented losing a 1,098-day learning streak.

Von Ahn says the public’s reaction was driven by “anxiety” about technology displacing jobs and that he should have communicated the changes more clearly. Internally, he insists staff understood that Duolingo was always intended to be “technology-forward.” The only internal concern centred on how AI usage would be factored into performance reviews, a process still being defined.

AI to handle repetitive tasks, not replace staff

Duolingo is not replacing its entire workforce with AI, von Ahn stresses. A small number of hourly contractors performing repetitive tasks will no longer be needed, but many will be offered other contract roles. The company is still hiring for positions where AI cannot substitute human talent.

The real focus, he says, is on streamlining processes and freeing employees to do more creative and strategic work. Engineers, for instance, will write less code themselves and rely more on AI tools. Designers will shift toward supervising AI-generated illustrations that match Duolingo’s signature style.

“Our goal is to use AI for speed,” von Ahn says. One example: automating elements of language development so Duolingo can add more languages to its app more quickly than before.

Enhancing user experience through AI

AI has already enabled new features for Duolingo users. A premium offering includes a chatbot called Lily—a fictional moody teenager who personalizes interactions based on user preferences and abilities. Von Ahn says para-social AI interactions, already popular in China, will likely become more common globally.

At the same time, he acknowledges ethical concerns about how AI models are trained, particularly regarding copyright. Duolingo’s illustration AI is trained only on its own artwork. He’s less concerned about language translation data, which typically uses common phrases.

Business growth amid transition

Duolingo’s financial performance remains strong. The company now has 10.3 million paying subscribers, a 40 percent increase year over year, and reported $230 million in first-quarter revenue—a 38 percent jump. Net income rose 30 percent to $35.1 million.

Von Ahn believes Duolingo’s main competitors are not other language apps, but entertainment platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Duolingo is expanding beyond language to offer chess, music, and math.

A founder shaped by global experience

Raised in Guatemala City by a single mother, von Ahn came to the US to study math and later completed a PhD in computer science. He previously founded ReCaptcha, which he sold to Google, and says he had to overcome early resistance to monetization at Duolingo: “I took the whole social warrior/communist thing too far.”

Going public, he says, improved the company’s discipline and processes. His mother, now living in one of his Pittsburgh properties, follows the company’s stock price more than its business model.

Future uncertainties and leadership philosophy

Duolingo’s business is largely insulated from current U.S. tariffs, though the company may shrink its signature owl plush toy if costs rise. On the broader political climate, von Ahn says diversity remains critical for Duolingo’s global user base, though international employees are “nervous” about potential future changes under the Trump administration.

After the LinkedIn backlash, von Ahn returned to the platform to apologize for any lack of clarity. “AI is creating uncertainty for all of us,” he wrote, urging people to approach it “with curiosity” rather than fear.