No Schools, Teachers In The Future? Duolingo CEO Believes AI Tutors Will Gain Momentum – News18

Last Updated:May 19, 2025, 18:17 IST

Duolingo CEO says he does not believe schools will be shut or there will be no teachers. Instead the main role of schools will just change

Duolingo CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn has stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may become the primary educator and schools could be just used for childcare. AI tutors are anticipated to eventually outperform human teachers in terms of effectiveness and scalability, von Ahn said during the No Priors podcast hosted by Sarah Guo.

However, he added that he does not believe schools will be shut or there will be no teachers. Instead the main role of schools will change — from formal education to being a secure place for childcare. He added that learning will be driven by advanced AI systems.

In traditional classrooms with large groups of students, personalised learning poses a significant challenge, says von Ahn adding that he believes AI can solve this problem by customising lessons depending on each student’s learning needs. Human teachers may often struggle to monitor the progress of every child in a class of 30 or more, however, AI can identify weaknesses easily and adjust content in real-time, which may be difficult to achieve manually.

He noted that incorporating AI into education will be a gradual process. Education systems often resist change due to regulations, cultural expectations, and outdated infrastructure. Despite this, he believes that AI’s role in classrooms will continue to expand, especially in countries where providing high-quality education on a large scale is a significant challenge.

“Education is going to change. It’s just a lot more scalable to teach with AI than with teachers,” von Ahn said.

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It can be said without doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) is the future of the world. School and college students are using AI not just for homework and class assignments, but also for exam preparation. However, is it wise to rely on AI for everything? Excessive dependence on artificial intelligence can impair cognitive function. Relying on AI for every detail of your studies can diminish your mental engagement, leading to self-doubt even when you are capable and knowledgeable. If you’re a student with access to AI tools, it’s important to learn how to use them effectively.

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