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 AIâand are now facing real-world backlash. Klarna once boasted its AI replaced 700 customer agents. Now itâs 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 arenât just trolling, theyâre deleting the app and questioning the companyâs values.
Even with Duolingoâs stock surging, the optics are bad: consumers want AI as a tool, not a replacement. This isnât just about automation, itâs about trust. How long can âAI-firstâ remain a strategy if the humans itâs meant to serve are walking away?
Read the full article on Fast Company.
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