Duolingo CEO tries to walk back AI-first comments, fails

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Backlash to “AI‑First” Messaging and Layoffs

  • Many paying users say they cancelled immediately after Duolingo announced replacing human curriculum writers and contractors with AI.
  • People object less to AI R&D and more to bragging about automating away human work, then backpedaling. The CEO’s memo and later PR are seen as investor appeasement, not product‑driven.
  • Several argue that if AI is really the best tutor, they’ll just use a general LLM directly, making Duolingo an expensive middleman with no clear raison d’être.

Effectiveness of Duolingo as a Learning Tool

  • Common claim: Duolingo is now “a mobile game about languages” rather than a serious pedagogy tool.
  • Users report long streaks (years) with minimal real‑world proficiency; some realized they were maintaining streaks, not learning.
  • Criticisms include: shallow curriculum, illogical sequencing, poor pronunciation models, useless at higher CEFR levels, and the removal of human discussion forums.
  • A minority report good results when Duolingo is combined with immersion, other materials, and strong intrinsic motivation.

Gamification, Engagement, and Enshittification

  • Extensive complaints about pop‑ups, streak freezes, leaderboards, and upsell nags; many feel the app is optimized for engagement metrics and subscriptions, not outcomes.
  • Debate over gamification: some see it as corrosive to intrinsic motivation; others say it’s the only thing that keeps them practicing daily.
  • Comparison to social media and dating apps: success (users “graduating”) conflicts with business incentives to retain them indefinitely.

Alternatives and Preferred Learning Methods

  • Many prefer human interaction: live tutors, conversation partners, language exchanges, or apps facilitating real dialogs (e.g., chat with natives).
  • Others advocate “comprehensible input” via graded readers, children’s shows, podcasts, YouTube series, and immersion.
  • Multiple alternative apps and FOSS tools are mentioned as “warmer” or more pedagogically sound, especially for specific languages.

AI in Language Learning and Business Strategy

  • Split views: some think LLMs can already be excellent tutors (especially for grammar and explanations); others insist tech is at best a secondary aid and cannot “teach a language” by itself.
  • Concern that AI‑generated content will further lower quality and erase any remaining human touch, while failing to build a lasting moat.
  • Several see Duolingo’s AI push as classic hype chasing (like “mobile‑first” and “big data”) to support a lofty valuation rather than to improve learning.