Imagine this: on one hand, there’s Duolingo waving its green owl like a chainsaw screaming “We’re AI-first!”, and on the other, Apple — just waking up in the 21st century, trying to figure out how not to look like grandpa on TikTok.
So, who’s the visionary here, and who’s playing catch-up with panda eyes?
Duolingo: Owl With a Chainsaw
Duolingo isn’t just a cute language app anymore. It’s an empire with a green bird mascot that now says: “We’re an AI-first company!” Translation: if you’re a human doing repetitive work — say hi to your AI replacement.
But relax — they didn’t fire everyone, just the contractors dealing with dull translations. CEO Luis von Ahn (the reCAPTCHA guy — yep, the one with the “spot the traffic light” tests) explained: “We’re freeing creative people from boring work.” If you don’t get it — sorry, it happens. He even apologized. How nice.
Now Duolingo is:
- Chatbots acting like turbo-charged teachers
- Revenue up 40% (coincidence? ha!)
- An owl that no longer just nags you — it teaches like a boss
Apple: “Siri-ously late to the party”
Now let’s grab a flashlight and peer into Apple’s misty forest. Meanwhile, in Cupertino, Apple is still trying to get Siri to remember your name. Behind the marketing glitz, Apple is preparing for WWDC like a student about to take finals: hopeful, scared, and unfinished.
What do we know? Rumor has it:
- iOS 26 will be prettier. It’s like saying water is wet — it happens every year.
- Genmoji — emojis you create yourself. Is this an innovation or a cry for help?
- Siri… well. They’re supposedly rebuilding her with AI brains. But all we have are delays, leaks, and whispers about an OpenAI deal. Apple is terrified of its own reflection.
The magic spell — “Apple Intelligence” — not to be confused with artificial intelligence. Why? Well, Apple isn't one to jump on a moving train; they prefer to reverse engineer the train, patent it, and then sell it in four colors.
In short: everyone is waiting for the revolution, but for now there is only a trailer for it.
Conclusion
Also read:
- iOS 19 — The Update We Deserve: A Game-Changing Redesign and AI-Powered Future
- Apple AirPods Set to Gain Camera Control, Sleep Detection, New Gestures, and More at WWDC 2025
Duolingo is betting on AI, like a chess player in the middle of a game - calmly, clearly and with a squint. And Apple looks like a person who put on VR glasses, but forgot to charge them.
What will come of this - we will find out very soon. But the owl is already laughing first.
