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Duolingo Laysoff 10% of Its Contract Translators as it Adopts The Use of AI For Content Creation

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In this photo illustration the Duolingo logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo by Rafael Henrique / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

US-based language learning company Duolingo has laid off 10% of its contract translators, as it turns to generative AI for creating content on the platform.

This move comes months after the CEO Luis Von Ahn, announced that the company is relying more on generative AI to develop its content.

In a letter to shareholders in November 2023, Von stated that the company would be using generative AI technology to speed up the creation of text, speech, and images.

In his words,

“AI accelerates our mission to make high-quality education available to everyone in the world. The things that we can do now with the power of OpenAI’s technology are going to shape the future of education”.

Speaking on the recent layoff at the company, a spokesperson said,

“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,”

The spokesperson added that the job reduction isn’t a straight replacement of workers with AI, as many of its full-time employees and contractors use the technology in their work.

Duolingo had 600 full-time workers at the end of 2022, according to company filings. The spokesperson added that no full-time employees were affected by the cutback.

Also speaking on the layoff at the company, Duolingo’s global head of communications, Sam Dalsimer was quoted saying,

“There is some merit to the idea that AI is contributing to the reduction of our contract workforce, but it would be an oversimplification to say this is the sole reason. We use AI for a variety of different functions and tasks,”

Dalsimer mentioned that contract and staff employees are still closely involved in reviewing AI outputs for accuracy.

These tasks include generating sentences and acceptable translations. In addition, he stated that the company tried to find alternate roles for the contractors affected by the changes.

According to Dalsimer, AI was not intended to replace jobs, instead, it would save translators time and allow them to concentrate on more difficult tasks.

The job cuts at Duolingo reinforce concerns that have been raised by employee groups and unions that businesses may begin significant adoption of AI to replace workers.

A report by the World Economic Forum predicts that AI will cause significant disruption in the labor market within the next five years, although the overall impact may be positive as employers seek workers with more technical skills to navigate AI technology, per the report. 

Duolingo is far from the first company to make job cuts while adopting the use of AI, as reports reveal that 1 in 4 companies have already replaced workers with AI-driven technology.

Duolingo Embraces AI, Trims Contractors Amidst Efficiency Drive

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In this photo illustration the Duolingo logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo by Rafael Henrique / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

Duolingo Inc., renowned for its language-learning software, has opted for generative artificial intelligence to streamline content creation, leading to a reduction in its contractor workforce, hinting at a trend where companies leverage AI for tasks traditionally handled by human workers.

This shift to generative AI signals a new wave of automation in language learning amid concerns over the impact of the evolving technology on jobs.

A company spokesperson quoted by Bloomberg confirmed that approximately 10% of contractors have been “offboarded,” citing a shift in the nature of required tasks due to the integration of AI technologies. “We no longer require as many individuals for certain tasks, partly due to the efficiency brought in by AI,” the spokesperson stated.

CEO Luis von Ahn previously outlined in a shareholder letter in November the company’s utilization of generative AI. This technology enables the rapid creation of text, speech, and images, significantly expediting the production of content, including scripts for language-teaching shows. Duolingo has integrated AI-generated voices into its application and introduced Duolingo Max, a premium tier offering AI-generated feedback and multilingual conversations.

Following this revelation, Duolingo’s shares surged by 3.2% to $210.65 in New York, marking continued investor confidence after a remarkable tripling in value throughout 2023.

The spokesperson clarified that the reduction in workforce is not merely a replacement of human workers with AI. Many full-time employees and contractors at Duolingo actively employ AI technologies in their respective roles. At the close of 2022, Duolingo boasted 600 full-time employees, as per company filings, and the spokesperson assured that no full-time employees were impacted by the recent cutbacks.

The growing interest in generative AI has prompted concerns among employee groups and unions regarding potential workforce reductions. A World Economic Forum report forecasted significant labor-market disruptions within the next five years due to AI adoption, albeit with a potentially positive net impact as employers seek individuals equipped with technical skills to navigate AI.

Responding to these concerns, Microsoft Corp. formed an alliance with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to address AI’s impact on employment. Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized the need to enhance workforce capabilities and acknowledged the potential for AI to accelerate certain aspects of job roles.

Other tech firms, including Chegg Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), have also made moves in this direction. Chegg Inc. announced a 4% reduction in its workforce, focusing on integrating AI into tutoring services. IBM’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, highlighted the intention to pause hiring for roles potentially replaceable by AI and estimated that 30% of back-office jobs could be automated within five years using AI tools.

Popular language learning app Duolingo has cut about 10% of its contractors as part of its shift towards heavier reliance on artificial intelligence. The Pittsburgh-based company said it will start using AI more often to create content, but that humans will still check AI-produced work. It’s not Duolingo’s first dip into AI waters; back in March, it added an AI-powered subscription tier that allows users to have full conversations with a chatbot. The company said it has more than 24 million daily active users and 5.8 million paid subscribers. More than a third of companies said AI replaced workers last year, and 44% said the technology will cause layoffs in 2024, per a recent survey cited by CNN. (LinkedIn News)

“The Universe of Numbers and The Accelerated Society Era of AI” – Ndubuisi Ekekwe

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I just touched town and tomorrow is the big day. My speech is titled “The Universe of Numbers and The Accelerated Society Era of AI”. Get ready for history, from the time of Pythagoras to the time of Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi to the age of Jack Kilby – and our time, we will understand the universe, and see the emerging era. Then, we will move deep into technology, and how AI is transforming the ordinance of market systems.

“Uwa bu ahia” (the world is a market, the Igbo Nation says) – and artificial intelligence (AI) will make everyone a better market participant. That is the future, and that is the convergence of careers of the future.

“Numbers! Numbers!! Numbers!!!” will replace the famous response of Hamlet when Lord Polonius asked him, “What do you read, my lord?”, and he responded  “Words, words, words”.

The Universe is Numbers and as read numbers, we win on careers and businesses, because the world is numbers. Those numbers open everything and we will examine the world of opportunities in the numbers of nations, communities and people – and how we can prepare.

*Unfortunately, this is invitation-only and I am unable to share the webcast link.

Next Algorand? AI-Powered Option2Trade Raises $300,000 in 24 Hours

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Option2Trade (O2T) is a Web3 platform that offers advanced tools and services for people to trade crypto and other assets. By combining the power of blockchain smart contracts and artificial intelligence (AI), Option2Trade (O2T) offers features like social trading, trading bots, copy trading, leverage trading, and liquidity provision without requiring KYC.

Algorand is a Decentralized autonomous blockchain that works on the Pure Proof of Stake (PPoS) protocol. ALGO is the native coin of the Algorand blockchain that offers various value-added services. It emerged as a utility token that caught the attention of many investors for its future potential. O2T is offering all those features and use cases, but more. Can O2T become the next Algorand?

Here is a brief overview of how Option2Trade (O2T) works, what the benefits of its native token, O2T, are, and how it raised $300,000 in a single day.

What is Option2Trade (O2T) and how does it work?

To succeed in the crypto space, a project must offer genuine services and incentivize the community in one way or another. Option2Trade (O2T) takes advantage of AI to offer a social trading experience with an intelligent reward mechanism. The platform challenges the monopoly of many crypto projects, like Algorand.

Option2Trade (O2T): AI Social Trading

The social trading feature analyzes market trends, sentiment, and patterns to generate smart suggestions, trading signals, and alerts. Leaderboards, asset rankings, dedicated chat rooms, and shared insights make social trading a central attraction for experienced traders and fresh hands.

Community-Oriented Approach:

A strong community can make a meme coin successful; we know that from the Dogecoin example. Such a community grows around a project if it’s inclusive and benefits everyone. Option2Trade (O2T) offers a one-stop solution to all trading needs, with no KYC required. It adds a sort of anonymity and security to the trustless environment of the blockchain world.

If you are an experienced trader, you can take on the role of leader to copy trades on Option2Trade (O2T) and get rewarded in O2T for every successful trade. Even beginners can follow these experienced traders, copy their trades, and learn from their strategies.

O2T Token: Enjoying Massive Traction

Option2Trade (O2T) is the native utility and governance token of the Option2Trade (O2T) platform. O2T is still at stage 1 of its presale and has raised over $300,000 in funding in just 24 hours. The increased demand for the token, with a max supply of just 624,888,777 O2T tokens, adds to its value. The price of O2T tokens is, therefore, consistently growing.

O2T attracts investors, stands out in the Option2Trade (O2T) ecosystem, and can be used for various purposes, such as:

  • Governance: Each token is your vote to participate in the decision-making process on Option2Trade (O2T).
  • Discounts: Enjoy discounts on the platform’s fees by holding the O2T token.
  • Rewards: All rewards and incentives are given away in O2T tokens.
  • Staking LP: Stake your tokens or provide liquidity to generate passive income.
  • Premium Features: Own O2T tokens to unlock premium tools and services like AI trading bots, credible crypto signals, and more.

Option2Trade (O2T)’s Presale Success and Future

Option2Trade (O2T) token has dedicated 50% of its supply for presale. The presale of the token achieved remarkable success on its first day. The presale raised a total of $300,000, a testament to the high token demand. Option2Trade (O2T) is a licensed global asset platform that targets a broader community that believes in the potential of AI and DeFi.

It is worth noting that the project is still at the beginning of its roadmap. Most of the features are not yet available on Option2Trade (O2T), but it can still gain that much traction from the crypto community. This speaks for Option2Trade (O2T)’s commitment and promising potential. O2T is a multipurpose token, and as more features are added to the platform, the token is going to break out in 2024.

For more information on the Option2Trade (O2T) Presale: 

Visit Option2Trade

Join and become a community member: 

https://t.me/O2TOfficial 

https://twitter.com/Option2Trade_ 

How Should We Hire?

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Hiring decisions will always come under fire from all corners, for as long as have recruiters and job-seekers. But that’s not the focus today. The question I want to ask here is, what should we hire for? Should we hire experience or for experience? I will explain shortly.

We are in a time where experience is becoming one of the most critical things company recruiters look for when they are hiring to fill a role. They want to know how many years of experience you have garnered, what kind of skills you have acquired from previous roles, and how many years have been spent in such roles.

Some want to know what top gear achievements you have from your previous employer. Why did you leave your former employer? And so on.

But do the answers tell you how a person will perform on a job? Or are they questions recruiters ask to fill time? That a person has seven years relevant industry experience in that role, is it guarantee that they can deliver on your company’s vision?

To answer that question, I want to reference something I read from the book “Good to Great: why some companies leap, and others don’t.” An interesting point to note here is that the chapter about how a company’s success is highly determined by having the right people on board said little or nothing about years of industry experience.

I’ll take this excerpt from a page in the book.

One good-to-great executive said that his best hiring decisions often came from people without industry or business experience. In one case, he hired a manager who’d been captured twice during the Second World War and escaped both times. He said, ‘I thought anyone who could do that shouldn’t have trouble with business.”

Did you laugh out? Or did you nod your head vigorously in agreement with him? Well, I did both when I read that excerpt. In this case, the man may not have been hired for job experience but for life experience. And I agree that anyone captured twice during a war and escaped in both instances has what it takes to succeed as a business manager.

There is a reason it is said, “People are not your greatest asset; the right people are,” but the reason is certainly not about the number of years of industry experience a person has. As you probably know, the quality of life experiences a person has gone through says much about the quality of character and personality. But If you are trying to decipher the kind of life experience the person has that may make him thrive on the job, then the emphasis on how many years they have worked in a role may not give you all the answers you seek.