AI-First, People-Last? Klarna and Duolingo Get Schooled
If AI is so good at replacing humans, why is Klarna quietly rehiring them, and why is Gen Z publicly uninstalling Duolingo?
Klarna and Duolingo went all-in on AI—and are now facing real-world backlash. Klarna once boasted its AI replaced 700 customer agents. Now it’s hiring humans again to restore service quality. A clear signal that we needs humans and machines to succeed, not just one or the other.
Duolingo, meanwhile, stuck to its AI-first playbook and got roasted by its own TikTok community. Users aren’t just trolling, they’re deleting the app and questioning the company’s values.
Even with Duolingo’s stock surging, the optics are bad: consumers want AI as a tool, not a replacement. This isn’t just about automation, it’s about trust. How long can “AI-first” remain a strategy if the humans it’s meant to serve are walking away?
Read the full article on Fast Company.
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