Duolingo CEO says controversial AI memo was misunderstood

In a recent interview, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn addressed the backlash he faced earlier this year after announcing the company's shift towards becoming an "AI-first company." He explained that the criticism stemmed from a lack of context regarding that statement. "Internally, this was not a controversial issue," von Ahn remarked to The New York Times. He acknowledged that as a publicly traded entity, some external observers may have misconstrued the company’s motives, assuming it was focused solely on profit or planning layoffs. However, he clarified that the intent was never to reduce human staff. Von Ahn emphasized that Duolingo has never terminated any full-time employees and has no plans to do so in the future. While he did mention some reductions in the contractor workforce, he noted that such adjustments have always been based on the company's needs. Despite the criticism, which he believes hasn't significantly affected Duolingo's financial health, von Ahn remains optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence. He shared that every Friday morning, the Duolingo team dedicates time to explore AI technologies, humorously referring to these sessions as "f-r-A-I-days," although he admitted he wasn't sure how to pronounce it.