Critics argue that the quality of the company's lessons has dropped due to the AI's errors. Duolingo, however, maintains that AI is being used to increase productivity and efficiency, not to replace human expertise. The company has been exploring ways to use AI to write content for its lessons, directly replacing the work many contractors had previously been doing. Despite this, some Duolingo employees fear their jobs may also be at risk if the AI continues to improve.
Key takeaways:
- Language-learning app Duolingo has been replacing contract writers and translators with artificial intelligence, leading to several waves of layoffs last year.
- The company cut around 10 percent of its contractors at the end of 2023, affecting teams working on dozens of language programs.
- Despite criticism and claims of quality drop, Duolingo maintains that AI is being used to increase productivity and efficiency, not to replace human expertise.
- AI's increasing role in content creation and translation has sparked concerns among remaining employees about job security, and criticism from those who believe it's being used primarily to cut costs.