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Duolingo CEO Backs Off AI Usage in Employee Performance Reviews
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn stated that the company has abandoned evaluating employees based on their AI usage, less than a year after announcing an AI-first policy. He clarified that AI will not replace employees but empower them. A company spokesperson emphasized that AI tools assist human judgment and creativity without making decisions.
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Duolingo has dropped the metric of evaluating employee performance based on AI usage, according to CEO Luis von Ahn. Less than a year after announcing an AI-first policy that included this evaluation, von Ahn said the company no longer applies it to performance reviews.
Clarifications Employees have expressed pushback, viewing AI as a potential threat to their jobs and livelihoods.
Von Ahn addressed these concerns by stating that AI does not yet surpass humans in coding and that engineers will remain essential for a long time. He noted that AI-written code can be difficult to debug and is not consistently reliable for creating stories at Duolingo.
Duolingo has utilized AI for years to personalize learning and expand access, with technology being core to its operations.
A company spokesperson stated that teams rely on human judgment, expertise, and creativity, with AI serving as an assistive tool. The spokesperson added that AI does not make decisions or replace people, and all choices prioritize what is best for learners.
