Reports surfaced Monday regarding a round of layoffs at Duolingo prompted by the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The language-learning software company cut back on contractors because their app can use AI to replace the jobs humans once held, according to Bloomberg. This is precisely what I said would happen once all company leaders realized they could ensure greater profits for themselves by turning their staff to the street and replacing them with robots.
An alleged copy of an “exit survey” from the company to one of the contractors was shared on social media, and the caption was pretty dystopian. Apparently, the user worked for Duolingo for five years. His team had four members, and two of them were “offboarded.” Those who weren’t will now allegedly spend their days reviewing the work done by AI.
Duolingo laid off a huge percentage of their contract translators, and the remaining ones are simply reviewing AI translations to make sure they’re ‘acceptable’. This is the world we’re creating. Removing the humanity from how we learn to connect with humanity. pic.twitter.com/YdT6CTB3Kj
— Reid Southen (@Rahll) January 8, 2024
“We just no longer need as many people to do the type of work some of these contractors were doing. Part of that could be attributed to AI,” a spokesperson told the outlet. In layman’s terms: Almost everyone who specializes in languages at college is going to be out of a job by the end of 2024. The world no longer needs human translators.
Apparently, AI is able “to more effectively scale our course content.” The platform also uses a form of AI-generated feedback to help users with foreign-language conversations. (RELATED: Dear Kay: I Just Lost My Tech Job … To A Robot. Help!)
After listening to Joe Rogan discuss with Yellowstone co-creator Tylor Sheridan the dystopia that is a world run by AI, I can’t think of anything worse than normalizing these technologies. Not only will all of you get dumber the more relying on this system … but what happens when the grid fails, the power goes out and our AI is inaccessible to anyone here?
Just something to ponder.
Duolingo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.