This year, Duolingo's CEO Luis von Ahn faced intense scrutiny after announcing the company's strategic shift toward becoming an "AI-driven enterprise." During a recent interview, he admitted his initial statements lacked sufficient context regarding the transformation.

"Internally, this statement never generated controversy," von Ahn explained in a New York Times interview. "Externally, as a public company, some have interpreted this either as profit-driven motives or suspected workforce reductions - which were never our intentions."

The CEO emphasized that "we've never cut full-time employee positions" and have no such plans. While acknowledging contract worker adjustments aligned with fluctuating demands, he clarified, "Our workforce dynamics have always been demand-responsive from day one."

Despite the criticism (which appears to have minimally impacted Duolingo's performance), von Ahn maintains unwavering confidence in AI's potential. The company maintains a weekly Friday morning ritual where teams explore emerging AI technologies.

"We affectionately call it 'F-RAI-days' - an awkward acronym that defies proper pronunciation," von Ahn admitted with characteristic candor.