When language education company Duolingo announced that it’d be “AI first” in April, numerous observers predicted layoffs.
Five months later, Duolingo hasn’t laid off a single full-time employee, and is instead using artificial intelligence to bolster the productivity of the humans it does employ, co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn said at the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2025 on Tuesday.
“With the same number of people, we can make four or five times as much as content in the same amount of time,” said von Ahn. “There are still humans that have to direct the computer to do the right thing, but each human is able to do way more.”
Specifically, AI’s automation capabilities help Duolingo’s engineers produce language, math, music and chess lessons more quickly, von Ahn said. Duolingo has been gradually phasing out contractors, according to its April announcement. But the company has yet to lay off a full-time employee since its founding in 2009, and has added headcount since April, said von Ahn.
DON’T MISS: The ultimate guide to starting a business—everything you need to know to be your own boss
