“You Can Keep Your ‘AI-First’ Company”: Loyal Users Cancel Duolingo Over AI Replacing Workers

If you’re anything like us, you love learning new languages. One of the most popular and accessible ways to do this is using the app created by the educational technology company Duolingo. Even if you haven’t ever touched the app, you probably know the iconic (and somewhat infamous) green owl mascot, Duo.

However, the company has been seeing quite a bit of backlash in recent days after Co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn announced that Duolingo is going to be AI-first. This pivot toward artificial intelligence has upset many users, with some canceling their subscriptions or even outright deleting their accounts. Scroll down for the story in full. Bored Panda has reached out to Duolingo for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from them. 

Duolingo is beloved by millions around the globe. However, the company’s recent focus on AI has made some users cancel their subscriptions

Smartphone displaying Duolingo app with green owl logo, highlighting Duolingo AI-first strategy impacting user experience.

Image credits: appshunter / unsplash 

Some people are calling out Duolingo after the CEO announced that it will be an AI-first company. Here’s one internet user’s take

Text excerpt about Duolingo's AI-first strategy causing user backlash, discussing replacement of contract employees with AI.

Screenshot of a Fortune article about Duolingo CEO replacing contract employees with AI in the AI tech sector.

Image credits: thotline_news

Text about Duolingo and its iconic owl marketing campaign discussing its success and impact.

Text excerpt discussing Duolingo CEO's AI-first strategy leading to user backlash and app deletions from many users.

Text excerpt discussing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and users considering alternatives like ChatGPT to avoid AI-based apps.

Young man with concerned expression reacting to Duolingo's AI-first strategy pushing many users away.

Image credits: thotline_news

Text about users rejecting Duolingo after CEO announces AI-first strategy and job cuts related to AI integration.

Alt text: Text discussing Duolingo's AI-first strategy and its impact on user experience, highlighting the loss of relatability and fun.

Image credits: thotline_news

You can watch the internet user’s full video right here

@thotline_news RIP Duolingo lol #duolingo#news#ai#ceo#tech♬ original sound – Thotline News and Politics

“Change can be scary, but I’m confident this will be a great step for Duolingo”

In a post on Duolingo’s LinkedIn profile, the company stated that they are “going to be AI-first.”

“Just like how betting on mobile in 2012 made all the difference, we’re making a similar call now. This time, the platform shift is AI. What doesn’t change: We will remain a company that cares deeply about its employees,” the company wrote.

According to CEO von Ahn’s staff email about this change, “AI isn’t just a productivity boost. It helps us get closer to our mission. To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn’t scale.”

He said, “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. AI also helps us build features like Video Calls that were impossible to build before. For the first time ever, teaching as well as the best human tutors is within our reach.”

The CEO said that going for this AI-first approach means that Duolingo has to rethink how it works. “Making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won’t get us there. In many cases, we’ll need to start from scratch. We’re not going to rebuild everything overnight, and some things—like getting AI to understand our codebase—will take time,” von Ahn writes.

“However, we can’t wait until the technology is 100% perfect. We’d rather move with urgency and take occasional small hits on quality than move slowly and miss the moment.”

The CEO shared the company’s plans for the near future:

• “We’ll gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle;
• AI use will be part of what we look for in hiring;
• AI use will be part of what we evaluate in performance reviews;
• Headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work
• Most functions will have specific initiatives to fundamentally change how they work.”

That being said, von Ahn stressed that Duolingo will “remain a company that cares deeply about its employees. This isn’t about replacing Duos with AI. It’s about removing bottlenecks so we can do more with the outstanding Duos we already have. We want you to focus on creative work and real problems, not repetitive tasks. We’re going to support you with more training, mentorship, and tooling for AI in your function.”

“Change can be scary, but I’m confident this will be a great step for Duolingo. It will help us better deliver on our mission—and for Duos, it means staying ahead of the curve in using this technology to get things done.”

The news from Duolingo sparked outrage online

Comment criticizing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy, emphasizing the need for human nuance in language apps.

Alt text: Online comment discussing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and users reacting to changes with skepticism and concern

Comment from user dylpickle criticizing Duolingo’s AI features as poor quality and focused on cost-saving, with 16,541 likes.

Comment from Maria Maria discussing a marketing theory about Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and its user impact.

Comment criticizing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy, claiming Memrise is better for language learning without paywalls.

User comment on Duolingo's AI-first strategy causing user dissatisfaction in a social media post.

User comment criticizing Duolingo's AI-first strategy for poor lesson quality and language learning issues.

Comment on social media post expressing user disappointment about Duolingo’s AI-first strategy pushing many users away.

User named Luis questions Duolingo’s effectiveness, sparking discussion about Duolingo AI-first strategy and user concerns.

Comment discussing AI limitations in language learning, reflecting user concerns about Duolingo’s AI-first strategy impact.

Social media comment discussing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and its impact on users and content regulation.

User comment expressing regret about using Duolingo amid backlash on Duolingo AI-first strategy.

User comment expressing regret about Duolingo's AI-first strategy causing users to avoid installing the app.

User comment humorously doubts Duolingo AI-first strategy by fearing mistranslations when learning Spanish basics.

Comment by Juan Gomez criticizing Luis Von Ahn, highlighting user frustration with Duolingo's AI-first strategy push.

Comment by Britannia Dias questioning Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and considering divorcing the app, with 48 likes.

User comment criticizing Duolingo as a poor language learning platform, reflecting reactions to Duolingo AI-first strategy shift.

User expresses sadness that some people keep Duolingo streaks but are not actually learning, reflecting views on Duolingo AI strategy.

Comment criticizing Duolingo as one of the worst language learning apps for teaching phrases instead of full language learning.

User comment on social media expressing dissatisfaction with Duolingo language app after AI-first strategy changes.

Comment criticizing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy, saying users boycott due to loss of mascot’s humor and appeal.

Comment from user Hoskey_RRT about Duolingo’s AI strategy and fears of the company’s actions being totally wrong.

Comment about Duolingo's AI-first strategy and user reactions mentioning the death of the Duo owl mascot.

Comments on social media criticizing Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and its impact on user retention.

User comment criticizing Duolingo language learning and cancellation, reflecting views on Duolingo AI-first strategy impact.

“Our investments in AI have also helped us accelerate content creation”

Not everyone was impressed by this shift toward an AI-first approach. Many Duolingo users took to social networks to share their disappointment.

Some wrote comments about how they are canceling their subscriptions, deleting their accounts, and uninstalling the app.

Others posted memes about the entire situation on platforms like TikTok. Still, others created videos and started online threads where they called out the company for this strategy.

According to a recent Duolingo report about its first quarter results of 2025, the company has seen great results.

“Q1 was an outstanding start to the year—we added more Daily Active Users this quarter than any in our history, highlighting the continued strength of our product and brand. We also surpassed 10 million paid subscribers and delivered 38% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by strong user momentum and increased adoption of our premium subscription tiers,” von Ahn said.

“As we look ahead, we’re excited about the momentum we’re seeing with Duolingo Max and its potential to drive both innovation and growth. Our investments in AI have also helped us accelerate content creation, and we believe we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of what we can offer our users.”

Meanwhile, TechCrunch reports that Duolingo is introducing 148 new language courses created by using generative AI.

What are your thoughts about the changes that Duolingo is making, embracing AI to such a great extent? Are you skeptical, optimistic, or waiting to see how this will affect the user experience? Are you a Duolingo veteran (hi!), or a new user, or have you never even touched the app? What are your thoughts about employees getting replaced by AI, no matter the industry? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this sensitive issue. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section at the bottom of the article.

The backlash has been so strong that some people are reportedly ending their multi-year streaks

Person wearing sunglasses and headscarf holding Duolingo cake and flowers, referencing Duolingo AI-first strategy backlash.

Image credits: bett.ep

Comment criticizing Duolingo for its poor learning experience despite a long streak, reflecting user frustration with AI-first strategy.

Social media post showing Duolingo subscription cancellation amid user backlash over AI-first strategy shift.

Image credits: drdamonyoung

Social media comment from a user explaining they left Duolingo after mass translator firings amid AI-first strategy changes.

User expressing frustration about Duolingo AI-first strategy and deciding to cancel a 1308-day subscription streak.

Screenshot of a social media post expressing disappointment with Duolingo’s AI-first strategy causing users to cancel.

User commenting about deleting their profile and unsubscribing after Duolingo’s AI-first strategy pushed many users away.

User comment about deleting long Duolingo streak, expressing loss of motivation and daily tasks feeling like a chore.

Comment about a 2425-day Duolingo streak and disappointment with the app’s AI-first language learning strategy.

That being said, not everyone is quite ready to give up on the app

Comment from user zigzak about not letting go of a 1300 day streak on Duolingo, showing user frustration with AI-first strategy.

Comment from TojiBestGirl about maintaining a 1018 day streak despite Duolingo's AI-first strategy backlash.

Screenshot of a social media comment discussing AI labeled as the reincarnation of the devil and its widespread use.

Alt text: Social media comment expressing dislike about Duolingo's AI-first strategy amid user backlash.

A social media comment stating "It's not that serious," referencing user reactions to Duolingo's AI-first strategy.

Some people started suggesting alternatives for Duolingo

Screenshot of a social media comment discussing language learning platforms and mentioning Duolingo’s AI-first strategy.

User discussion about Duolingo’s AI-first strategy causing many users to switch to other language learning apps like Babel.

Here is the response from Duolingo’s CEO during a recent media interview

Screenshot of a reporter discussing Duolingo's AI-first strategy and new courses launch with AI assistance.

Text excerpt discussing Duolingo team’s AI-first strategy and concerns about its impact on users and humans.

Text excerpt from Luis von Ahn discussing concerns about employees and misunderstandings amid Duolingo AI-first strategy changes.

Text excerpt discussing AI-first strategy and impacts on hiring contractors related to Duolingo AI-first approach.

Text excerpt about Duolingo’s AI-first strategy and user impact, highlighting no major employee changes planned.

You can watch the full interview with the CEO right over here

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