Duolingo Is Now an AI First Company 

In 2012, Duolingo took a risky but calculated bet on being mobile-first, a decision that helped it win iPhone App of the Year and drive organic global growth. Today, CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn is making another decisive move which is reorienting the entire company around artificial intelligence.

In an all-hands memo posted on Duolingo’s LinkedIn page, von Ahn announced that Duolingo will become an “AI-first” company. He made it clear that the shift is immediate and non-negotiable: "AI is already changing how work gets done. It’s not a question of if or when. It’s happening now."

Von Ahn stated that minor tweaks to human-designed systems are not enough. In his words, “Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won’t get us there.” Instead, Duolingo will rethink its internal processes entirely to prioritize automation.

The changes outlined by von Ahn include gradually stopping the use of contractors for tasks that AI can handle, evaluating AI proficiency as part of hiring decisions, and incorporating AI adoption into employee performance reviews. New headcount will only be granted if teams can demonstrate that automation cannot achieve the required work, and most functions will be required to launch initiatives that fundamentally change how they operate around AI.