5 Shocking Ways Duolingo Has Changed: The AI-First Pivot, Layoffs, And User Backlash Explained

Duolingo, the world’s most popular language learning app, is not the same platform you remember. As of December 10, 2025, the company has undergone a radical, high-stakes transformation, pivoting its entire business model to an "AI-first" strategy that has simultaneously driven record-breaking revenue and sparked massive user and workforce controversy. The shift is so profound that it has led to significant contractor layoffs, a complete redesign of the learning experience, and loud complaints from long-time users who feel the app is "getting worse."

The core question of "what happened to Duolingo" can be answered by looking at its aggressive embrace of artificial intelligence. While the company's market cap soars and its revenue climbs, its decision to replace human lesson writers with AI tools has created a chasm between the business's financial success and the perception of its product quality among its most dedicated community members. This is the complete, up-to-date breakdown of the changes shaking the language-learning giant.

Duolingo, Inc. Company Profile and Timeline

To understand the current state of Duolingo, it's essential to look at the history of the company and its founders, who have always been at the forefront of technological innovation in education.

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• Founders: Luis von Ahn (CEO) and Severin Hacker.
• Founded: 2011.
• Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• Mission: To make high-quality education universally available.
• Business Model: Freemium (free access supported by ads and the paid subscription, Duolingo Super).
• Key Milestones:
  • 2011: Duolingo launches its private beta, accumulating a waiting list of over 300,000 people.
  • 2017: Duolingo English Test (DET) is launched, a low-cost, high-stakes language proficiency exam.
  • 2021: The company goes public (NASDAQ: DUOL).
  • 2023: The "Tree" learning structure is completely replaced by the "Path."
  • Late 2023/Early 2024: Duolingo announces and implements its "AI-first" strategy, leading to significant workforce restructuring.
  • 2024: The company reports strong financial results, with 41% year-over-year revenue growth, despite user backlash.

The AI-First Revolution: Duolingo’s Controversial Pivot and Layoffs

The most significant event that has "happened" to Duolingo is its aggressive pivot to an "AI-first" company structure. This strategic shift, initiated in late 2023 and solidified in 2024, has been both a financial boon and a major source of controversy.

Replacing Human Writers with AI

In a move that drew widespread media attention, Duolingo announced that it would be reducing its reliance on human contractors—the people who historically wrote and vetted the language lessons and course content.

• Contractor Cuts: Duolingo cut a significant number of contractors, including those responsible for writing lessons and coming up with new content.
• The Rationale: The company stated that AI tools could handle the work these contractors were doing, emphasizing the efficiency and scalability benefits of AI integration.
• Scalability: Duolingo cited a massive increase in content output, publishing 7,500 content units in 2024, a huge jump from 425 in 2021, directly attributing this acceleration to its AI investments.
• Internal Mandate: Under the new mandate, employees across all business units are now required to integrate AI into their daily workflows, with AI usage becoming a core metric for employee evaluation.

While the company frames this as a necessary step for the future of work and a way to accelerate language learning content creation, critics and former contractors view it as a shortsighted move that sacrifices the human nuance and cultural depth that human experts bring to language education.

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The 'Path' Backlash: Why Long-Time Users are Complaining

Concurrent with the AI pivot, Duolingo rolled out a complete redesign of its home screen and learning interface, which has been the primary source of user frustration and complaints across platforms like Reddit and social media.

The Path vs. The Tree

The core of the backlash revolves around the switch from the old "Tree" structure to the new "Path" learning model.

• The Old "Tree": This structure was non-linear, allowing users to choose which "skills" (or topics) they wanted to focus on, jump around, and practice specific lessons to reinforce knowledge. This gave users a sense of control and customization.
• The New "Path": This is a singular, linear path that forces users through a pre-determined sequence of lessons. Critics argue this removes user agency and makes the learning process feel more restrictive and less engaging.
• Loss of Practice: Many long-time users claim the new Path model has reduced the amount of actual language practice they receive, focusing more on progression than on mastery.
• Progress Reset: A common complaint in 2024 is that users' progress is constantly being undone or reset due to the "New and Improved" course changes, forcing them to re-do content they had already mastered.

These changes have led to a sentiment that Duolingo is "getting worse and worse," even if its financial reports don't yet reflect a drop in quarterly revenues.

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The Future of Language Learning: AI Features and Financial Power

Despite the internal controversies and user complaints, Duolingo’s business health remains robust, and its commitment to AI is driving new, advanced features designed to improve the educational experience for premium users.

Advanced AI-Powered Features

The AI-first strategy isn't just about cutting costs; it's also about creating new, high-value features that justify the Duolingo Super subscription.

• GPT-4 Integration: Duolingo is leveraging advanced models like GPT-4 to provide more detailed explanations for grammar and complex concepts, moving beyond simple translations.
• Video Call Feature: AI also powers features like "Video Call," which allows users to practice conversational skills in a simulated environment, a significant step towards real-world language fluency.
• Personalized Learning: The company continues to invest in adaptive learning algorithms, using AI to tailor lessons based on a user's performance, aiming to keep the gamified learning experience highly addictive.

The Financial Juggernaut

Duolingo's financial performance in 2024 has been nothing short of spectacular, demonstrating that its business model is stronger than ever.

• Record Revenue: The company ended 2024 with $748 million in revenue, marking a 41% year-over-year increase.
• High Valuation: Duolingo maintains a staggering market capitalization, positioning it as one of the few "super apps" in the education technology space.
• Freemium Success: The core freemium model continues to attract a massive global audience, with the paid Duolingo Super subscription serving as a highly profitable revenue stream by removing ads and offering unlimited hearts.

What happened to Duolingo is a classic tale of disruption: a successful tech company choosing to prioritize scalability and efficiency via AI, even at the expense of its long-standing workforce and the initial goodwill of its most passionate users. The platform is now a leaner, faster, and more financially powerful entity, but the debate over whether it is a *better* language learning tool is far from over.