Duolingo is introducing 148 new language courses that were created with generative AI, the company announced on Wednesday. The launch comes as Duolingo has been facing backlash this week after sharing that it was going to replace contractors with AI and become an 'AI-first' company. 'Developing our first 100 courses took about 12 years, and now, in about a year, we're able to create and launch nearly 150 new courses,' said Duolingo co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn in a press release. 'This is a great example of how generative AI can directly benefit our learners. This launch reflects the incredible impact of our AI and automation investments, which have allowed us to scale at unprecedented speed and quality.' On Monday, von Ahn told staff in an email that the company was shifting to AI and that it would 'gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle.' He also wrote that 'headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work.' 'Al isn't just a...
learn more
