Duolingo is adopting an “AI-first” method to its enterprise, and the language studying platform will cut back its reliance on human contract employees because it assigns AI their obligations.
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 carried out,” Ahn wrote in an e mail publicly shared by way of Duolingo’s LinkedIn account. “When there is a shift this large, 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 “regularly cease utilizing contractors to do work that AI can deal with,” per the e-mail. The corporate may also reward AI use in hiring new staff and in efficiency opinions of current staff. Groups will moreover solely be permitted to rent new members if the group can not automate the work.
Duolingo has eradicated contract employees in favor of AI earlier than. Final yr, the corporate minimize 10% of its contractors after reportedly deciding to make use of AI for translations.
Nevertheless, Ahn reassured employees within the e mail that “Duolingo will stay an organization that cares deeply about its staff,” and that being AI-first wasn’t about “changing” employees with AI however about permitting current staff to give attention to inventive work and problem-solving over repetitive duties. The corporate mentioned that it will 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 acknowledged within the e mail that Duolingo guess large 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 e mail.
Duolingo is specializing in AI through the use of 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 way of a video chat with an AI character named Lily.
Duolingo is not the primary firm to lately announce an AI-first technique. Earlier this month, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke informed all staff in a memo that “utilizing AI successfully is now a elementary expectation of everybody at Shopify.” Lutke informed Shopify employees that they need to maximize what they might do with AI earlier than asking for extra sources 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.