Duolingo has launched 148 new language courses created with generative AI, marking the largest content expansion in the company's history. This initiative more than doubles its existing offerings. The courses primarily support beginner levels and include features like Stories and DuoRadio to develop reading and listening comprehension.
CEO Luis von Ahn stated that generative AI allowed them to launch these courses in less than a year, compared to the years it previously took to build a single course. This expansion makes Duolingo's seven most popular non-English languages – Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin – available to all 28 supported user interface (UI) languages.
However, Duolingo is facing criticism for its plans to replace contractors with AI. Users have expressed concerns about inaccurate and lower-quality content. The company will also be using AI for hiring and performance reviews.