Duolingo Launches 148 AI-Created Courses Amid Layoff Concerns

Duolingo announced the launch of 148 new language courses, all built with the help of generative AI—a move that marks the largest content expansion in the company’s history. The new offerings, which double Duolingo’s total course catalog, were released just days after CEO Luis von Ahn informed employees that the company is officially going “AI-first.”

“Developing our first 100 courses took about 12 years, and now, in about a year, we’re able to create and launch nearly 150 new courses,” von Ahn said in a press release. “This is a great example of how generative AI can directly benefit our learners.”

The courses are designed primarily for beginner-level learners and include features like Stories for reading comprehension and DuoRadio for listening practice. More advanced content is expected to follow in future updates.

Internal Memo: “AI-First” and Fewer Contractors

The course launch comes on the heels of an internal email sent Monday, in which von Ahn outlined a strategic company shift: AI will replace contractors doing work that can be automated. In the memo, von Ahn called AI a transformational force for education and scalability.

“AI isn’t just a productivity boost. It helps us get closer to our mission,” he wrote. “To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content and doing that manually doesn’t scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP.”

He stated that Duolingo would begin phasing out contractors, and that new hires would only be approved for teams that can’t automate more of their work. AI proficiency will now factor into hiring decisions, performance reviews, and team structures.

As part of the transition, Duolingo will apply several “constructive constraints” to guide how AI is adopted across the organization:

• Gradually stop using contractors for work AI can handle

• Include AI usage as a factor in hiring decisions

• Evaluate AI usage in employee performance reviews

• Only approve new headcount when automation isn’t feasible

• Require teams to launch initiatives that fundamentally change how they work with AI

These measures aim to make AI a core element of daily operations, not just an enhancement.

Backlash From Users

Despite the milestone, Duolingo is facing growing criticism from users and advocates concerned about quality and ethics. Social media posts from disheartened users accuse the company of lower content quality, with some claiming AI-generated lessons are more error-prone or less nuanced. A number of users have posted that they’ve deleted the app, calling on others to do the same in protest.

Duolingo Responds: AI as a Support, Not a Replacement

In the email to staff, von Ahn emphasized that this shift is not about replacing existing employees but removing bottlenecks so that current staff can focus on creative and strategic work.

“We’re going to support you with more training, mentorship, and tooling for AI in your function,” he wrote.

He drew a parallel to the company’s 2012 pivot to mobile, which was then seen as risky but proved transformative. “We’re making a similar call now, and this time the platform shift is AI,” he said.

What This Means

• For Learners: Duolingo’s AI-driven expansion means users can expect more languages, faster course development, and increased access to beginner content. However, as the company experiments with large-scale automation, quality control becomes a growing concern. Some users report that AI-generated content feels less accurate or engaging, raising questions about whether efficiency is coming at the cost of pedagogical depth.
  

• For Duolingo Employees and Contractors: The internal shift signals a strategic redefinition of roles. While full-time employees are being promised training and mentorship, contractors are facing phase-outs. For current team members, the expectation is clear: AI fluency is no longer optional. Performance, hiring, and team resourcing will all hinge on the ability to integrate AI tools effectively, shifting the company’s internal culture from content creation to AI orchestration and oversight.
  

• For the EdTech and AI Industry: Duolingo’s move is one of the most public declarations yet of an education company embracing AI not just as a feature, but as an operating model. If successful, it may pressure competitors to follow suit—potentially triggering industry-wide restructuring, particularly for content and curriculum roles. It also raises ethical and strategic questions about how far automation should go in educational contexts where nuance, empathy, and cultural understanding are critical.

Looking Ahead

With AI development accelerating, Duolingo is betting that automation will help it scale globally without sacrificing its mission. But whether learners and staff embrace this future—or push back harder—remains to be seen.

More broadly, Duolingo’s shift may signal the beginning of a new era in workforce transformation, where AI becomes deeply embedded not just in what we build, but in how we work. What’s unfolding at Duolingo isn’t just a change in tools—it’s a preview of a broader AI-first model that many companies may soon adopt.

The question now isn’t just how fast Duolingo can grow with AI—but whether workers and industries are prepared to adapt as AI becomes a core collaborator.

This won’t be a story of replacement alone—it’s also one of re-skilling, redefinition, and reimagining human roles in a world where machines increasingly contribute to the creative process.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.