A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
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A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Duolingo vs. The Internet
What It Is: A week ago, Duolingo’s CEO announced that the company will become an AI-first company. The push to become an AI-first company is “not just for a productivity boost”, but also to strengthen their mission of teaching others new languages. Included in this push is ceasing the hiring of contractors to do what AI can do, and AI will be integrated into how they hire and do employee management. However, many online fans are not taking kindly to this, and many users have decided to boycott Duolingo. Users are going as far as breaking years-long streaks to make their stance known. Duolingo is a powerhouse on social media and has created its own lane of unhinged content, yet the comments are flooded with calls for boycotts. Duolingo has not posted in a week on Instagram, TikTok, and X, likely due to the backlash they are facing. For the first time in a long time, the outspoken bird has been silenced. Will Duolingo’s social media team continue business as usual, or will they take the time to address user concerns?
Brand Takeaway: The backlash that Duolingo is facing online from this push highlights the overall user sentiment of how people feel about AI and its ability to replace human jobs. It also highlights how users receive major announcements like this in an impersonal way, much like how the CEO announced in a long corporate way on LinkedIn. Brands can learn from this how major announcements about AI should be communicated and can be received. It’s also a reminder beyond AI that for big changes, companies should always be prepared for potential backlash, especially online. Brands should also note how Duolingo will respond on social media in the face of this, where overall user sentiment is strongly negative.
Examples: 1, 2, 3
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