Duolingo Cuts Contract Workforce as It Shifts Toward AI
Duolingo lays off about 10% of its contract workers as the language learning app increasingly relies on artificial intelligence for content creation. The company states that no full-time employees are affected by the reduction.
Duolingo lays off around 10% of its contract workers as the language learning platform shifts to rely more heavily on artificial intelligence. The company clarifies that not all of the contractor cuts at the end of 2023 are directly due to AI, but a significant portion stems from changes in how the app generates and shares content.
No full-time employees are affected by these layoffs. Duolingo states that it attempts to find alternate roles for all impacted contractors before resorting to off-boarding as a last resort, showing a measured approach to the workforce transition.
The Pittsburgh-based company currently boasts 24.2 million daily active users, 5.8 million paid subscribers, and over 100 available courses. As Duolingo embraces this technological shift, it actively integrates AI into its platform, most notably through a new subscription tier that utilizes advanced machine learning capabilities.