At this year’s Fast Company Innovation Festival, one of the standout conversations came from Duolingo’s cofounder and CEO, Luis von Ahn. In a discussion with Fast Company’s Executive Director Amy Farley, von Ahn offered a look at how Duolingo went from just being a language learning app to becoming an entertainment brand and cultural phenomenon. It’s a compelling case study in how to scale AI without sacrificing brand trust.
From Owl to Icon: Building a Brand With Personality
With 48 million daily active users and nearly 17 million TikTok followers, Duolingo has turned a simple green owl into one of the most recognizable mascots in tech. But Duo’s “unhinged” personality (as Amy Farley put it) wasn’t born in a boardroom. It grew organically out of memes, quirky notifications, and playful experimentation on social platforms.
Rather than sanitizing that voice, Duolingo leaned into it. The result was viral stunts like the Dead Duo campaign, which alone generated 1.7 billion impressions in just two weeks. By embracing imperfection and humor, the company built a brand that feels human in an era when many tech companies feel anything but.
AI as a Creative Partner
While Duo drives the headlines, it’s Duolingo’s AI-first strategy that drives the business. AI has unlocked 4-5x more content creation with the same staff, doubled the course catalog, and even enabled new offerings like the chess course that was built from scratch in just nine months.
Importantly, this has not come at the cost of jobs. Instead, the company introduced “Fri-AI-Days” as a dedicated time for teams across functions to experiment with AI tools. Nearly 100% of staff have now “bi-coded,” building their own AI-powered apps and workflows.
This approach reframes AI as augmentation, not automation, and positions technology as a creative partner, freeing people from repetitive tasks so they can focus on innovation.
Breaking Through With Conversation
One of the biggest unlocks has been Duolingo’s AI-powered avatars like Lily, which holds real-time “phone calls” in the app and allows learners to practice conversation without the embarrassment of speaking to a stranger. Research shows this practice significantly improves fluency.
It’s a strong reminder for brands that the best uses of AI meet human needs not by replacing connection, but by making it easier to practice it.
Lessons for Leaders
Duolingo’s journey holds lessons for every brand navigating AI adoption and digital influence:
- Authenticity is the real currency. Listen to how people interact with your brand, and amplify it rather than over-engineering.
- AI must serve people, not displace them. When employees experiment and co-create with AI, technology becomes a force multiplier instead of a flashpoint for fear.
- Mission keeps you grounded. Even with revenue on track to hit $1B, 90% of Duolingo users still learn for free, and that commitment ensures accessibility remains at the brand’s core.
Why It Matters
As new tools from Apple, Google, and others promise live translation, Duolingo’s success underscores a deeper truth: technology alone isn’t enough. Real influence comes from building trust, delivering on mission, and creating brand voices that resonate with people.
In a world where every company claims to be “AI-first,” Duolingo shows that the real differentiator isn’t the tech, it’s how you weave it into your brand story.
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