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A.I. Teachers and Duolingo’s New Plan — What Could Go Wrong?

Josh Johnson | September 26, 2025



Just announced more dates on The Flowers Tour! Check out https://joshjohnsoncomedy.com/tour for dates and to sign up for the waitlist to be notified when I’m performing in your city.

Hi Friends,

This week I wanted to share my thoughts on the increased effort to replace teachers, in multiple spaces, with A.I.

In the U.K. school system A.I. as a headmaster is being introduced with several adults assisting the A.I. in instruction but not working as the actual teachers.

At the same time Duolingo is facing massive backlash and plummeting in users after committing to put A.I. above teachers, and some would say, above customer experience.

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Recorded at Soho Theatre Walthamstow in London, England

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Written by Josh Johnson

Comments

This post currently has 42 comments.

  6. @natg4984

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    Well said, re: the teachers. It BOGGLES me to this day. And what makes it worse is that society puts such pressure on children regarding their education — and when those children become adults they "type" of education matters for the kind of jobs they get [and thus their future pay]. If it all matters SO MUCH than why are teachers so disrespected? Why are school programs so underfunded? Why are teachers on their already unequal-to-the-work-they-do salaries spending it so kids can learn the best? I'm not saying there aren't bad apples. I'm not saying there aren't people who are there bc THEY think it is easy. There are bad apples everywhere, and yes they should be acknowledged. But IN GENERAL! In general, the treatment of teachers – and more basically: education – around the world, just ……….. doesn't add up for me. [Pun semi-intended.]

  7. @amandalerouxpeters2684

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    AI cannot replace teachers. It is still wrong a good portion of the time (researching with it is interesting at times) and you can't replace the human interaction. I can't tell a computer what I don't understand and get an appropriate response. I am not a fan of AI.
    My son has special needs. No AI would help him. We NEED teachers.

  8. @stoffij.4058

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    I got mad at duolingo even before i started paying for it. This owl is toxic and manipulative. I was: i'm not gonna stay in a toxic relationship with a comic owl! and deleted it

  10. @grenadagreengroupg3776

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    What an astonishing, glowing and deserved tribute to JJ that this 'show' has unleashed a heartfelt discussion of this calibre – from thinking professionals. May this be his lightbulb moment that gives him real satisfaction: he is not merely an entertainer, but a facilitator, an enabler, for such a large and diverse public. Simply put: thank you.

  11. @lauryneliz23

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    I’m honestly just in awe with the way Josh’s brain works. And his ability to make things so clear and simple, AND funny, for so many different kinds of people, so many different levels of education, age, political preferences, cultures, literally across the world. he just tells a story so well and so fluidly it’s just like sitting with a friend. I absolutely adore listening to his sets, and I always leave feeling a sense of contentment regardless of the current situation in the USA. Thank you Josh for being you ❤❤

  24. @primrosepath9253

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    Learning Japanese, i've noticed that the app frequently offers a 'correction' which is Word-for-word the answer i've given which is being corrected. Far more common for me since the Push toward ai🎌

  28. @yuuyaida

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    I had a teacher in high school who taught engineering classes. He came to our school from a job at NASA, and when he told us my classmates and I were confused on why he would leave a job like NASA to become a teacher at some dingy high school. Hearing Josh explain that teachers love seeing the lightbulb pop into a students head made me tear up. I think back to him spending several classes teaching me about the material we were learning and him being as excited as I was when I found a solution that I could understand. He could have stayed at NASA and had a great career, but he came to our school to find the joy in teaching students like me, the ones who need a little push to make it. I’m in college now and I miss him, thank you Mr. H for all of your hard work.

  30. @Korilian13

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    Duolingo didn't start as just business though. It was designed to make English language learning available to under priveliged communities. The paying customers were essentially subsidizing free learning for the poor. I think that's still their primary goal.

  31. @loriallenbaugh35

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    One of my biggest issues with AI in general is one of the first things I ever learned about computers. GIGO. The computer can only learn from what it exposed to by whoever is programming it to learn. Without a sense of right, wrong, good, evil and especially compassion we will never be able to learn well from these machines. Teachers are irreplaceable.

  38. @bellilly

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    the two treasures this one gifts me with are:
    – the light bulb moment – how it inspires and is food to teachers
    – the money, and how the emphasis on making more money is the main motivator of many enterprises (incl education)

  39. @chameleonrose16

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    I struggled a lot in school (undiagnosed ADHD, among other things) and had a really hard time with certain subjects, especially math. I didn't understand algebra until I WAS 30. For a lot of people it just makes sense but for some reason my brain just could not grasp it. Teachers couldn't explain it to me and neither could my dad, who was my at-home math help. It wasn't until I sat down with a friend of mine who is a programmer and had him walk me through it for nearly 4 hours that it finally clicked. I appreciate him so much for that and I wish more people could have a teacher in their lives that sits with them and patiently explains things to them in a way that they understand. I love teaching and learning and I try to extend that same patience and genuine love for learning to others.

  42. @christophercanzoneri2962

    September 26, 2025 at 11:18 am

    The most profoundly defining heartbreak of my life was that I couldn't earn my livelihood teaching music. What I can say is that for the few fleeting months that I was a substitute band teacher, it was worth enduring every struggle to see the light of discovery in the eyes of those students.

Comments are closed.

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