Duolingo is the latest company to use artificial intelligence as a reason for layoffs. The company confirmed it will cut about 10% of its contractor workforce by the end of 2023 as it switches to using artificial intelligence models such as OpenAI's GPT-4 to streamline content production and translation.
Widespread adoption of ChatGPT and other large language models could impact a variety of job roles, including language-based tasks. According to the "Future of Jobs 2023" report released by the World Economic Forum, artificial intelligence will change 23% of jobs in the next five years.
Redditor No_Comb_4582 was the first to notice the layoffs at Duolingo, writing that they were laid off as a contractor on December 15, along with a screenshot of an email from the company.
The reason given by Duolingo] is that AI can provide content and translation, substitute translation, and almost everything that a translator does. They keep a few people on each team and call them content curators. No_Comb_4582 wrote: "They just check for AI-generated spam and push it out."
A company spokesperson explained to us that GPT is used to translate sentences, and then "human experts verify whether the output is of sufficient quality for teaching and meets CEFR standards, which is what learners should be able to do at each CEFR level." The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international guideline for explaining language proficiency.
Duolingo also uses GPT-4 to power its premium subscription tier, Duolingo Max, with experiences that include AI-generated feedback and a chatbot that helps users practice conversations. Duolingo also has its own proprietary artificial intelligence model "Birdbrain" that can personalize course content.
However, the company disputed the "layoffs" claim, saying only a "small number" of Duolingo's contractors were laid off as the project ended. The spokesperson also cited various possible reasons, such as contracts having been completed or "improvements in the content creation business" that no longer require as many people to do the work. The company also confirmed in comments to Bloomberg that part of the reason why so many people are no longer needed is artificial intelligence.
Contractors and Duolingo users alike are understandably unhappy with the layoffs, as they fuel fears that artificial intelligence will replace human workers. This is especially a hard blow for contractors, who already experience job insecurity from one assignment to the next and often struggle to find long-term employment due to incomplete resumes.
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According to company documents, Duolingo will have 600 full-time employees in 2022.
Additionally, Duolingo users worry that AI translation could take away the value of human experts, who have a deeper understanding of the nuances of language, idioms and culture.