Duolingo has announced an ambitious ‘AI-first’ strategy aimed at transforming digital education through personalised learning and rapid course creation. This move marks a major shift as the company seeks to harness AI for everything from curriculum design to internal operations.
CEO Luis von Ahn compared the transition to Duolingo’s 2012 bet on mobile, saying: “Being AI-first means rethinking how we work. Minor tweaks won’t be enough—we need to rebuild.” The company aims to accelerate innovation by integrating AI into its course development, hiring, and performance review processes.
Von Ahn added that while AI will take over tasks once handled by contractors, Duolingo remains committed to employee welfare and will not use AI to replace staff. Instead, AI will help scale efforts, especially in entering new markets and languages.
AI Doubles Course Output, Expands Global Reach
Since adopting the AI-first model, Duolingo has more than doubled its course offerings—releasing 148 new language courses in what it calls the largest content expansion in its history. According to the company, its first 100 courses took 12 years to build, but generative AI helped develop the latest batch in under a year.
Jessie Becker, Duolingo’s Senior Director of Learning Design, explained: “AI lets us focus our expertise where it matters most, while still maintaining our quality standards.”
The expansion enables Duolingo users from diverse backgrounds to access its most popular non-English courses. Now:
- 15 European languages can access Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin.
- Spanish and Portuguese speakers in Latin America can learn the same.
- Users in Asia can study all seven top languages, including English and Spanish.
This strategy aligns with broader trends. Google’s experimental platform, Little Language Lessons, uses its Gemini AI to provide contextual, personalized instruction—further demonstrating AI’s growing role in education.
Duolingo began its AI journey in March 2023 by launching Duolingo Max in partnership with OpenAI. The company also started replacing a portion of its contracted translators with AI tools in early 2024, leading to some criticism.
Still, Duolingo emphasizes that AI will support, not replace, human educators. As von Ahn notes: “Most people don’t have access to a one-on-one tutor. AI brings us closer to making that possible for everyone.”
The AI-first shift signals a new era for Duolingo—one focused on scalability, personalization, and accessibility through innovation.
