Is AI the future of education or just a new tool? Duolingo's Vision
In a recent Fortune article, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn sparked a heated debate by claiming that in the future, schools may exist primarily for childcare, while AI takes over the teaching.
While the comment stirred controversy (especially among instructors, teachers who feel devalued) it also raises important questions:
- How far can AI go in education?
- And more importantly, how should we, as instructors respond and behave?
As someone passionate about online learning and educational innovation, I’ve taught AI to hundreds of corporate teams in person, and I’ve seen firsthand how AI can actually :
- create lazy people
- make people less capable of reasoning
- abandoning slowly their faculty of thinking .by themselves.
While AI can be a powerful support tool, it should never be a replacement. Real teaching involves empathy, nuance, and the ability to challenge assumptions, something AI is still far from mastering.
Platforms like Udemy should demonstrate the real value of human-created courses when combined with smart, intentional use of technology. Not blind dependence on it. But, I have to say I am starting being concerned about the future changes …
- The key isn’t to fear AI, of course. It is already everywhere.
- We, as instructors, and I guess partners, have to think how to shape its role thoughtfully.
- Let’s use it to empower instructors and help them
- For the students to personalize learning paths
- To enhance accessibility
- not to erase the human touch that makes education meaningful.
Comments
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In an even more recent Fortune article, he walked it all back.
https://fortune.com/2025/05/24/duolingo-ai-first-employees-ceo-luis-von-ahn/
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Of course he did… he didn't have the choice regarding comments and reactions.
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@Matthieu is asking all the right questions.
In The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman traces the relentless march of technological progress—from stone tablets to papyrus, from the printing press to the internet. Each breakthrough brought both transformation and turbulence. Yuval Noah Harari reminds us that the printing press, now celebrated as a cornerstone of human advancement, initially sparked widespread fear and even witch burnings as society struggled to adapt.History teaches us that the most powerful cannot halt technological waves. Like King Canute demonstrating the limits of earthly power against the tide, we face a choice that transcends resistance.
The question isn't whether AI will reshape education—it's whether we'll learn to navigate these waters skillfully. We can either struggle against the current or craft the tools we need to thrive. For instructors, this means developing our "boats": understanding how AI can enhance rather than replace human connection, critical thinking, and the irreplaceable elements of teaching that only we can provide.
The wave is here. What will your vessel look like? And will we help each other?
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