DeepL Cuts 250 Jobs, Over 21% of Workforce, as It Accelerates AI Integration

DeepL laid off 250 employees, representing over 21% of its staff. CEO Jarek Kutylowski described the decision as "the most difficult I've had to make in my career" in a layoff memo he posted on LinkedIn. Kutylowski opened the memo by thanking departing staff before addressing broader industry changes.

"We are currently living through a massive structural shift in what work exists, who does it, and how many people it takes to do it well, and that shift is because of AI," he wrote. While most companies have recognized the AI-driven shift, few have acted on it, Kutylowski stated. Companies making moves like DeepL will "define the next decade," he added.

The CEO wrote that AI needs to be embedded deep within the organization. "This takes the pressure off of the hierarchical structure and team boundaries that have plagued companies for decades, allowing smaller groups - sometimes even an individual - to do work that once required entire teams," Kutylowski wrote.

To accelerate the transition, Kutylowski announced he will personally go deeper into founder mode.

He is assembling a small taskforce that will further completely rethink how DeepL builds products with AI at the center. " DeepL's team answered "No" to that question. The German AI translation startup is also opening a San Francisco office, Kutylowski announced in the same memo.

Business Insider reported the full contents of the note and the scale of the layoffs. The memo aligns with similar messages from other technology companies that have recently cut staff while emphasizing smaller teams and deeper AI integration. Kutylowski framed the changes as a response to a structural transformation rather than a conventional cost-cutting measure.