Duolingo to replace contract workers with AI in major shift to ‘AI-first’ strategy

Duolingo is set to phase out its use of contract content creators and increase its reliance on artificial intelligence as part of a major strategic shift to become an “AI-first” company, according to a message from co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn.

In an internal email posted to LinkedIn on Tuesday, von Ahn told staff the company must “rethink much of how we work” and that minor adjustments to existing human-based systems would not be enough. “To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn’t scale,” he said.

The Pennsylvania-based language-learning app, which has more than 20 million daily active users, will begin “gradually” replacing contract workers who create educational content with AI-driven tools. AI will also be used to support hiring and performance reviews.

Von Ahn compared the transition to the company’s early move to mobile in 2012. “When there’s a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait,” he said. “In 2012, we bet on the mobile. This time, we’re betting on AI.”

Duolingo has increasingly embraced generative AI across its products, particularly in its premium subscription tier, Duolingo Max. The feature allows users to engage in simulated, natural-language video conversations — a function that has proven popular but costly to maintain.

To manage costs and scale content more efficiently, Duolingo now sees AI as the cornerstone of its future growth strategy. The company runs a freemium model, with users able to access basic language lessons for free, and premium tiers offering more advanced features and gamified learning tools.

Earlier this year, the company projected 2025 revenues between $962.5 million and $978.5 million, outperforming Wall Street expectations thanks to growing uptake of its AI-powered subscriptions. A marketing stunt in which the brand’s owl mascot, Duo, faked his death helped fuel a spike in users in early 2025, aided by social media buzz and ongoing speculation about a US TikTok ban.

While the move to cut contract roles is likely to raise questions about job displacement in the education tech industry, Duolingo’s leadership maintains the shift is critical to the platform’s ability to scale globally and deliver personalised, AI-enhanced learning experiences at pace.

The company has not disclosed how many contract roles will be affected or over what timeline the transition will take place.

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Duolingo to replace contract workers with AI in major shift to ‘AI-first’ strategy