Duolingo just pulled a move that’s got everyone talking—148 new language courses, all whipped up by the wizardry of generative AI. 🚀 And let’s be real, this isn’t just another update. It’s the mother of all expansions, doubling what the app had to offer in the blink of an eye. But here’s the kicker: this AI-powered leap comes right after Duolingo decided to show human contractors the door. Yeah, you heard that right. It’s a win for tech, but at what human cost? 😮
Luis von Ahn, Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO, put it bluntly: what took a dozen years to do by hand, AI smashed in just one. “Generative AI is rewriting the rules,” von Ahn claims, touting its ability to churn out content faster and better than ever. But not everyone’s buying it. The shift to an “AI-first” approach has lit up social media like a Christmas tree, with users mourning the loss of that human spark and worrying about quality taking a nosedive. Some are so fed up, they’re ditching the app altogether. 🏴☠️
Undeterred, Duolingo’s plowing forward. These new courses? They’re beginner-friendly, loaded with cool stuff like Stories and DuoRadio to sharpen your reading and listening chops. And for the overachievers? More advanced content’s in the pipeline. But as Duolingo bets big on AI, the big question remains: what’s the real price of progress? 🤔
