Duolingo adopts AI‑First strategy, plans to phase out contractor tasks
Why does this matter now? In the months following Luis von Ahn’s announcement, Duolingo has begun reshaping its workforce around a new priority. The company told managers they must first prove a task can’t be automated before bringing a contractor on board.
That rule alone nudges the balance toward software over human labor. By August, the shift was already evident: roughly 80 % of Duolingo’s engineering effort was being directed by AI‑driven tools, while the pool of external workers shrank. The move isn’t just a cost tweak; it signals a broader belief that the platform’s language‑learning engine can handle more of its own upkeep.
As the internal data pipelines grow smarter, the line between what a human does and what a model does is being redrawn. The next step, according to the CEO, is to let the technology lead the way—a stance that will soon be summed up in a single, stark declaration.
*Duolingo Goes “AI First”*
Duolingo Goes "AI First" Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn announced an "AI First" strategy that same month. The company would "gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle." Managers were required to show that AI could not do a job before hiring humans. By August, 80% of Duolingo engineers were using AI tools daily.
Bill Gates Says Humans Will Be "Unnecessary for Most Things" Across interviews in 2025, Bill Gates delivered the widest version of the claim. He said AI would make humans "unnecessary for most things" within a decade. He added that if he were starting a company today, it would be "AI-first." When one of the original architects of the software industry talks this way, people listen.
Duolingo’s shift to an “AI‑First” stance sits squarely within a year marked by bold proclamations about software’s demise. In January, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg warned on a popular podcast that AI would soon make mid‑level engineers redundant. Luis von Ahn answered with a concrete plan: stop hiring contractors for tasks AI can perform, and force managers to demonstrate a human‑only need before adding staff.
By August, the company reported that 80 % of its engineering effort was already handled by AI, though the exact nature of that work remains unclear. The policy’s rapid rollout suggests confidence in current models, yet the long‑term impact on product quality and workforce stability is still uncertain. Critics note that the broader “coding died” narrative has not materialised as predicted, and Duolingo’s experience may temper future hype.
Whether the AI‑driven approach will sustain growth without compromising the learning experience is a question that only forthcoming data can answer.
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Common Questions Answered
What is Duolingo’s “AI First” strategy as announced by CEO Luis von Ahn?
Luis von Ahn’s “AI First” strategy directs the company to prioritize automation, requiring managers to prove a task cannot be automated before hiring contractors. The goal is to shift work from human labor to AI‑driven tools across the organization.
How has Duolingo’s engineering effort changed by August after adopting the AI‑First approach?
By August, roughly 80 % of Duolingo’s engineering effort was being directed by AI‑driven tools, indicating a heavy reliance on automation. This shift also coincided with a noticeable reduction in the pool of external contractors.
What new hiring rule did Duolingo implement for contractors under the AI‑First plan?
Duolingo required managers to demonstrate that a task could not be performed by AI before hiring a contractor, effectively forcing a human‑only justification. This rule is intended to phase out contractor work that can be automated.
How does Duolingo’s AI‑First shift relate to broader industry statements from leaders like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg?
The shift mirrors broader claims that AI will render many human roles unnecessary, echoed by Bill Gates’s comment that humans will be “unnecessary for most things” and Mark Zuckerberg’s warning about mid‑level engineers becoming redundant. Duolingo’s concrete plan to stop hiring contractors for automatable tasks reflects these industry predictions.