Language learning giant Duolingo has rolled out a record-breaking 148 Duolingo AI-generated courses, doubling its course offerings in what the company is calling the “largest expansion of content” in its history. The announcement, made Wednesday, marks a turning point in Duolingo’s transformation into an “AI-first” company, but the move isn’t without controversy.
The Duolingo AI-generated courses were built using generative AI, enabling the company to achieve in one year what previously took more than a decade. “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 CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn in a press release. He called the launch a “clear win” for learners and a demonstration of the company’s bold AI strategy.
However, the celebration has been clouded by growing criticism. Just days before the announcement, Duolingo revealed plans to replace many contractors with AI, triggering backlash from users and ethical concerns across social media platforms.
A Rapid Expansion Fueled by AI
Previously, course development was slow and labor-intensive. With its pivot to AI, Duolingo now claims it can scale its content for global learners much faster. The new courses primarily target beginners and feature familiar learning tools like DuoRadio for listening skills and Stories for reading comprehension.
“One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI,” von Ahn told employees earlier this week. “Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners.”
Backlash Over AI Replacing Human Workers
Despite the technological leap, many users feel betrayed. In an internal email, von Ahn stated the company would “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle” and said new headcount approvals would only happen when automation wasn’t feasible.
The response has been swift and pointed. Critics argue that the aggressive shift to AI has led to lower-quality content, grammatical errors, and bugs. Several users have reportedly deleted the app, voicing concerns about Duolingo prioritizing cost-cutting over quality learning.
While Duolingo stands firm in its belief that AI is essential to fulfilling its educational mission, the real test will be how learners respond to the evolving experience—and whether the tradeoff between scalability and human nuance pays off.
More advanced content for intermediate and expert learners is expected to launch in the coming months, as Duolingo continues to bet big on AI to reshape the future of language education.
Get the Latest AI News on AI Content Minds Blog