Duolingo is facing backlash after announcing plans to replace contract workers with artificial intelligence, prompting social media users to publicly vow to quit the app, followed with comments like, "that owl is dead to me."
On April 28, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn shared a company-wide email declaring that the language-learning platform would become "AI-first," likening the shift to its 2012 pivot to mobile, according to a LinkedIn post by the company.
Citing the inevitability of AI's growing role in the workplace, Ahn said Duolingo would stop using contractors for tasks "that AI can handle," a move he framed as essential for scalability and innovation.
Ahn's email promised sweeping AI integration—not only in content creation, but also in hiring, performance reviews and product features like AI-powered video calls that aim to rival human tutors. He admitted that the transition might sacrifice some quality in the short term, but emphasized the need for speed over perfection.
While insisting the company would still support existing employees with training and mentorship, the email made clear that some roles would be eliminated. Users quickly took to social media to criticize the decision, with many pledging to cancel their subscriptions or end long streaks.
"That owl is dead to me," one user wrote on X. While another declared, "This is where my streak dies."
duolingo ceo said they going “full ai and ai first” so that owl is dead to me
— amanda (@amandabb__) April 30, 2025
This is where my streak dies. @duolingo deciding to replace contractors, people, with AI is an ethically dogshit choice and I’m not here for it. Deuces ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/oT3KOl8aWQ
— essi // punching-nazi-transphobes_era (@Teh_Jkr) April 30, 2025
The backlash was especially fierce among those who saw the move as emblematic of corporate disregard for human labor.
"We loved that f***ing owl. We would kill for that f***ing owl. You just blew a 3-1 lead. Who the f*** is making this decision? No one's using your app anymore" TikToker Anthony Koz declared.
@anthonykoz Duolingo AI First??? Thank u, NEXT!
♬ original sound - Anthony Koz
"I have never deleted an app so fast. [Duolingo] Max subscription, ended. App, deleted. Fifteen-hundred-something-day streak, gone," another user shared in a video that has since amassed more than 5 million views.
Though Duolingo has not reversed course, the controversy highlights the growing tension between AI adoption and ethical labor practices.
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