I Ditched Duolingo For A Simple Reason

Learning a new language is a skill that takes time, patience, and understanding. It has been taught since humanity first developed language and the written word. Today, when it comes to learning other languages, there is Duolingo, an app that instructs users how to speak, read, and write — and one I used for a time until AI came into play.

Duolingo Max uses GPT-4, and it's one feature I do not appreciate, as language learning and its nuances are very human. We learn through patterns we notice around us. By hearing others speak in certain situations through a process known as statistical learning, we can get a better understanding of what is being said. When Duolingo shifted its strategy, the company laid off staff as it turned its focus to artificial intelligence. The update includes chatbot character Lily that helps you practice with AI-generated responses, which is something many users don't want on their devices.

Another reason I got rid of the owl was due to the many things behind a paywall. Also, if you missed more than a few days in a row, you had to do a refresher course that only covered the basics of the language, and not your recent learning. I used the app to learn Spanish and was having a great time, but I couldn't continue after constant refreshers for missing days and being inundated with reminders to subscribe for more.

Some users have jumped ship as well, feeling that due to Duolingo switching to generative AI, the service is no longer worth using. One user commented on Reddit that the company removing certain features and laying off contractors to create content more quickly through artificial intelligence was enough of a reason for them to leave the language-learning platform.

It's evident that even CEO Luis von Ahn is focused on using generative AI to release more content more rapidly, as he stated in a shareholder report months before the layoffs. That's where it's reported that Duolingo is using AI to craft sentences for courses, create lists of translations, and review errors spotted by users to fix them more quickly. Users who have taken courses written by AI say the information is lacking or simply incorrect. This was either grammatically, semantically, or stylistically wrong, which could cause users to believe they are learning correctly when in fact they are not.

However, Duolingo reports a huge spike in people still learning through its app, especially languages such as Mandarin. The company announced that even with the AI controversy, it saw an increase in earnings and active users by 40% year-over-year, projecting that it will earn $1 billion annually.

The introduction of AI has pushed users away from the app, with some looking for other ways to learn a new language. Duolingo isn't the only service or manner in which you can learn to speak and write another language. When I left Duolingo a few years ago, I wanted to continue expanding my knowledge in language learning, so I turned to YouTube.

There are dozens of language learning apps you can turn to aside from Duolingo. YouTube is one that is completely free and includes lessons taught by real people. I ditched learning Spanish on Duolingo to instead learn American Sign Language — which Duolingo doesn't teach — through the YouTube channel Learn How to Sign. You can also search YouTube to find other channels devoted to additional languages.

If you want an app, there are others such as Babbel and Anki. Of course, you will want to research the apps and YouTube channels ahead of time to make sure they do not use AI in any way, if that is your preference. The apps mentioned here were selected for their high ratings on their respective shops, but many options are available. Learn How to Sign is an example based on my experience that matches what other channels and creators offer: its YouTube channel has free lessons, while paid courses are available on its website.