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When investors think about artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, the usual names that come to mind are chipmakers powering the AI boom, cloud providers building the infrastructure, and companies developing the large language models (LLMs) behind the technology. Duolingo (DUOL), the company behind the world’s most popular language-learning app, is rarely part of that conversation. Yet AI could prove to be just as important to Duolingo’s future as it is to the companies at the center of the AI boom. The company initially found itself caught between two competing narratives.
On one hand, investors worried that increasingly capable AI translators and conversational models could eventually make language-learning apps unnecessary. On the other, Duolingo’s own push toward an “AI-first” strategy sparked backlash from users, particularly after the company began replacing human contractors with AI. But while AI has created legitimate challenges for the business, it has also become a powerful tool for expanding what Duolingo can offer. One of the clearest benefits has been course creation.
