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Duolingo is the in vogue company to adduce AI as a reason for job cutting . The company affirm it sheer around 10 % of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023 , as it turns to AI models like OpenAI ’s GPT-4 to streamline content output and version .
The broad program of ChatGPT and other great language model could touch a wide range of job part , including language - based tasks . According to the World Economic Forum’s2023 Future of Jobs report , AI will transubstantiate 23 % of jobs in the next five twelvemonth .
RedditorNo_Comb_4582was the first to note the Duolingo layoff , write that they were offboarded as a declarer on December 15 , with a screenshot of an electronic mail from the company attached to the post .
“ The reason [ Duolingo ] establish is that AI can descend up with content and translation , alternative translations , and pretty much anything else translators did . They kept a couple people on each team and call them subject matter curator . They simply check the AI crap that gets bring forth and then push it through , ” wrote No_Comb_4582 .
A company spokesperson explicate to us that GPT is used to translate judgment of conviction and then “ human expert validate that the output quality is high enough for commandment and is in accordance with CEFR banner for what learner should be able to do at each CEFR level . ” The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ( CEFR ) is an international road map for explain language proficiency .
Duolingo also apply GPT-4 to index experience for its premium subscription tierDuolingo Max , include AI - generated feedback and a chatbot to help users exercise conversation . Duolingo also has its own proprietary AI model , “ Birdbrain ” that personalizes moral content .
However , the fellowship disputed address the departure “ layoff , ” saying that only a “ small nonage ” of Duolingo ’s contractor were let go as their undertaking wrapped . A spokesperson also adduce various reasons that could be the case , like a declaration being discharge , or “ melioration to content macrocosm operation ” that no longer require as many masses to do the body of work . In a comment toBloomberg , the caller also confirmed that part of the reason it no longer call for as many multitude was attributable to AI .
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Understandably , both the contractors and Duolingo users were swage by the job cuts , as it lend to the ever - growing fearfulness that AI will replace human workers . It ’s an peculiarly tough blow for contractors , who already feel Book of Job insecurity pass away from one assigning to the next , and often struggle to find permanent Job due to their spotty resumés .
In an X post,@bvnnyjungkooksaid she was a contractor for Duolingo and note that a absolute majority of its workforce are contractor , which is usually a augury that a company want to save money because they do n’t have to factor in in insurance obligation or benefits like paid time off and sick leave .
Duolingo had 600 full - sentence employees in 2022 , percompany filings .
i was a duolingo contractor for 2 age and it was always clear to me that they screw AI and that they take advantage of the fact that a bulk of their workforce are contractors ( ie no welfare or job security ) : /https://t.co / A9Ddx6aLMv
— jade ( @bvnnyjungkook)January 8 , 2024
Plus , Duolingo user worry that AI translation may take away the note value of a human expert who has a deeper understanding of languages , idiomatic verbalism and ethnic nuances .
Duolingo place off a huge percent of their declaration translators , and the remaining ones are simply reviewing AI translation to check that they ’re ‘ acceptable ’ . This is the world we ’re creating . Removing the humankind from how we learn to connect with humanity.pic.twitter.com/YdT6CTB3Kj
— Reid Southen ( @Rahll)January 8 , 2024
Duolingo launches new subscription tier up with access code to AI private instructor power by GPT-4
