Duolingo cut approximately 10% of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023, with the company explicitly citing AI as a reason that fewer people were needed to do translation and content writing work. A second round of cuts followed in October 2024, again targeting writers. These were the first widely reported cases of a major consumer tech company publicly attributing contractor layoffs to AI adoption.

Bloomberg first reported in January 2024 that Duolingo had ended contracts for roughly 10% of its contractors — primarily translators and content writers — at the end of 2023. A company spokesperson confirmed that AI had reduced the need for this type of work. Remaining contractors were reclassified as content curators who review AI-generated output rather than creating content themselves. A second round of cuts affected writers in October 2024. The company stated that no full-time employees were affected in either round. The controversy intensified in April 2025 when CEO Luis von Ahn formally declared Duolingo "AI-first" in a widely circulated internal memo. CEO von Ahn later clarified in August 2025 that full-time employees would not be laid off, acknowledging the original memo lacked sufficient context.