TL;DR — What You Need to Know

• Duolingo is cutting contractors and ramping up AI use, shifting towards an “AI-first” strategy.
• Journalists link this to a broader, creeping jobs crisis in creative and entry-level industries.
• It’s not robots replacing workers — it’s leadership decisions driven by cost-cutting and control.

Are We at the Brink of an AI Jobs Crisis

AI isn’t stealing jobs — companies are handing them over. Duolingo’s latest move might be the canary in the creative workforce coal mine.

Here’s the thing: we’ve all been bracing for some kind of AI-led workforce disruption — but few expected it to quietly begin with language learning and grammar correction.

This week, Duolingo officially declared itself an “AI-first” company, announcing plans to replace contractors with automation. But according to journalist Brian Merchant, the switch has been happening behind the scenes for a while now. First, it was the translators. Then the writers. Now, more roles are quietly dissolving into lines of code.

What’s most unsettling isn’t just the layoffs — it’s what this move represents. Merchant, writing in his newsletter Blood in the Machine, argues that we’re not watching some dramatic sci-fi robot uprising. We’re watching spreadsheet-era decision-making, dressed up in futuristic language. It’s not AI taking jobs. It’s leaders choosing not to hire people in the first place.

In fact, The Atlantic recently reported a spike in unemployment among recent college grads. Entry-level white collar roles, which were once stepping stones into careers, are either vanishing or being passed over in favour of AI tools. And let’s be honest — if you’re an exec balancing budgets and juggling board pressure, skipping a salary for a subscription might sound pretty tempting.

But there’s a bigger story here. The AI jobs crisis isn’t a single event. It’s a slow burn. A thousand small shifts — fewer freelance briefs, fewer junior hires, fewer hands on deck in creative industries — that are starting to add up.

As Merchant puts it:

So now we have to ask: if companies like Duolingo are laying the groundwork for an AI-powered future, who exactly is being left behind?

Are we ready to admit that the AI jobs crisis isn’t coming — it’s already here?

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TL;DR — What You Need to Know

• Former OpenAI insiders say the company is straying from its nonprofit mission — and that could be dangerous.
• A legal letter urges US states to stop OpenAI’s transformation into a fully commercial venture.
• Critics argue the new structure would weaken its duty to humanity in favour of shareholder profits.

OpenAI For-Profit Transition: Could It Risk Humanity?

Former employees and academics are urging US courts to block OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model, warning it could endanger humanity’s future.

The Moral Compass Is Spinning

OpenAI was founded with a mission so lofty it sounded almost utopian: ensure artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. But fast forward to 2025, and that noble vision is under serious legal and ethical fire — from the very people who once helped build the company.

This week, a group of former OpenAI staffers, legal scholars, and even Nobel Prize winners sent an official plea to California and Delaware attorneys general: don’t let OpenAI go full for-profit. They claim such a move could put both the company’s original mission and humanity’s future at risk.

Among the voices is Nisan Stiennon, a former employee who isn’t mincing words. He warns that OpenAI’s pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — a theoretical AI smarter than humans — could have catastrophic outcomes. “OpenAI may one day build technology that could get us all killed,” he says. Cheery.

At the heart of the complaint is the fear that OpenAI’s transition into a public benefit corporation (PBC) would legally dilute its humanitarian responsibilities. While PBCs can consider the public good, they’re not required to prioritise it over shareholder profits. Todor Markov, another ex-OpenAI team member now at Anthropic, sums it up: “You have no recourse if they just decide to stop caring.”

This all adds up to a dramatic ethical tug-of-war — between commercial growth and moral responsibility. And let’s not forget that CEO Sam Altman has already weathered a scandal in 2023 involving secret updates, boardroom drama, and a five-day firing that ended with his reinstatement.

It’s juicy, yes. But also deeply important.

Because whether or not AGI is even technically possible right now, what we’re really watching is a battle over how much trust we’re willing to place in companies building our digital future.

So here’s the question that matters:

If humanity’s safety depends on who’s in control of AGI — do we really want it run like just another startup?

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TL;DR — What You Need To Know:

• 58% of workers use AI at work – but nearly half (47%) admit to using it in risky or non-compliant ways, like uploading sensitive data or hiding its use.
• ‘Shadow AI’ is rampant, with 61% not disclosing AI use, and 66% relying on its output without verifying – leading to mistakes, compliance risks, and reputational damage.
• Lack of AI literacy and governance is the root cause – only 34% of companies have AI policies, and less than half of employees have received any AI training.

AI at work is booming – but too often it’s happening in the shadows, unsafely and unchecked.

The Silent Surge of Shadow AI

Have you ever asked ChatGPT to polish a pitch, summarise a tedious report, or structure a tricky email to your boss? You’re far from alone.

A new global study surveying over 32,000 employees across 47 countries has confirmed what many of us already suspect: AI has gone mainstream in the workplace. 58% of workers say they’re using AI at work, with a third doing so weekly or even daily.

On the surface, that’s a good thing. AI use is being credited with boosts in efficiency (67%), information access (61%), innovation (59%), and work quality (58%).

But scratch a little deeper, and things get messy.

Almost Half Admit to Using AI Inappropriately

The report reveals a troubling undercurrent: 47% of AI users admit to inappropriate use, and 63% have seen colleagues doing the same.

What does “inappropriate” mean in this context?

• Uploading sensitive company or customer data into public tools like ChatGPT (48% admitted to this)
• Using AI against company policies (44%)
• Not checking AI’s output for accuracy (66%)
• Passing off AI-generated content as their own (55%)

This isn’t just a compliance issue — it’s a looming business risk. 56% of respondents say AI has caused them to make mistakes at work, and 35% believe it’s increased privacy or legal risk.

The Rise of Shadow AI

Perhaps most concerning is how much of this AI usage is happening under the radar.

Welcome to the world of Shadow AI — tools used without approval, oversight, or sometimes even awareness from employers. The stats are telling:

• 61% of workers have used AI without telling anyone
• 66% don’t know if it’s allowed
• 55% claim AI output as their own work

When AI becomes invisible, so do its risks. And when that’s combined with a lack of guardrails, the consequences can be both immediate and reputational.

Why Are Employees Going Rogue?

The blame doesn’t lie solely with staff. The report shows only 34% of companies have AI usage policies, and just 6% outright ban it. Even more damning, less than half (47%) of employees have had any AI-related training.

Meanwhile, there’s increasing pressure to use AI tools just to stay competitive — 50% of workers fear being left behind if they don’t.

In short: employees are navigating a fast-moving, high-stakes environment without a map or a guide.

What Can Businesses Do Now?

The takeaway isn’t to ban AI. It’s to lead its responsible use.

Here’s what forward-looking organisations should prioritise:

1. Develop clear AI policies

Outline what’s allowed, what’s not, and where the red lines are — especially around privacy, client data, and copyright.

2. Invest in AI literacy

Training matters. Employees with even basic AI training are more likely to verify outputs, use AI responsibly, and generate better performance gains.

3. Foster transparency, not fear

Creating a culture of psychological safety around AI use encourages disclosure and learning — not secrecy and shortcuts.

4. Implement oversight and accountability

You can’t manage what you can’t see. Systems to track and audit AI usage are crucial — not to control, but to support smarter, safer adoption.

A Tipping Point Moment

The AI boom is already here. But so are its risks.

The challenge now isn’t getting people to use AI — they’re already doing that. The real test is whether businesses can create the right culture, governance, and education before the next high-profile blunder becomes their own.

Final Thought

If your employees are already using AI tools – and 58% of them are – do you know how, when, and why? Or is your company just one upload away from a preventable crisis?

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