In a recent interview, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn shared his candid advice for employees navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. His central message: resist clinging to outdated roles and instead learn to leverage AI as a productivity multiplier.
Von Ahn emphasized that AI is not replacing jobs overnight, but it is fundamentally altering what skills are valuable. He pointed to examples within Duolingo itself, where two non-coders built the company's newest product using AI tools, demonstrating that technical expertise is no longer a prerequisite for innovation.
"The biggest risk is pretending AI isn't happening," von Ahn said. He urges every employee to start "vibe coding"—using AI to build prototypes and automate tasks—even if they have no programming background. This hands-on exploration, he argues, is the most effective way to understand AI's capabilities and limitations.
Von Ahn also shared internal data showing where AI still struggles, noting that while AI has boosted productivity significantly—perhaps 10x in some areas—it requires human oversight to catch errors and ensure quality. The key, he says, is to view AI as a tool that augments human creativity and judgment, not as a threat.
For those worried about job security, von Ahn's advice is straightforward: "Adapt your skills now. Learn to work with AI, because the gap between those who do and those who don't is only going to widen."
The interview underscores a broader message for the workforce: survival in the AI era isn't about competing with machines but about collaborating with them to achieve more.