Latest news with #DuoLingo
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why DuoLingo's CEO Reversed His AI Stance And What It Signals For Work
Three boys from the vintage future reading each other's minds The start of 2025 was fraught with headlines about layoffs and changing hiring plans as companies adopt AI into their workflows and daily operations. This is already proving to be an overestimation of the capabilities of AI and its likelihood to replace humans across every job category. Recently the CEO of DuoLingo walked back his statements about becoming an AI first (vs. human managed) company saying that instead he sees AI as a 'tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality.' Similarly in a direct challenge to statements made by the CEO of Anthropic, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has gone on record saying that 'AI is a tool to enhance human decision making, not a replacement for it', adding that future career success depends on our ability to learn how to use these tools, not ignore or fear them. While most professionals have already started using AI in their daily work, many are struggling to understand how to prioritize their exploration and understanding of these technologies, and most importantly, how to position this new knowledge to employers and leaders for career advancement opportunities. This begs the most obvious question - 'how do I talk about my usage of AI without making it seem like it's doing my job for me'? The answer to this question is actually quite simple, though it does require a bit of thought about how you reprioritize your daily activities. For many of us AI has become a tool that dramatically cuts the amount of time we spend on repetitive or administrative tasks, including repetitive written communication. AI has also opened up our creative capabilities allowing us to rapidly conduct unstructured research across various topics, and even brainstorm strategic plans without the need for hours of brainstorming and data gathering and synthesis. The best way to communicate efficiencies driven by AI is not only to quantify the time that you're able to win back by leveraging this technology, but by clearly outlining the higher value work that you're now able to do with the extra time that you have – higher level work that simply can't be done by a machine. How you think about positioning this for future career opportunities will depend on your level of seniority and domain of expertise. More senior talent (i.e: managers and leaders) should be referencing how these tools have helped you drive increased operational excellence within your team, with a focus on tangible metrics that another employer may want to see in their own company. Individual contributors can highlight specific tools that have helped them double or triple their output, creating demand for this knowledge at other firms that may have been slow to adopt these technologies across similar departments. In a changing technological landscape it's more important than ever to be able to explain how your forward thinking adoption of technology can make you an invaluable asset to a team. This is both due to the fact that there's varying degrees of understanding of new technologies, and different levels of success actually implementing it within particular organizations or departments. Most importantly, this creates an opportunity for people that have actually learned to use these tools effectively to become trusted thought leaders in their respective fields. No degree or certification can replace the credibility that comes with being able to show tangible results from the time invested in learning how to effectively use a new technology. Better to spend your effort actively learning how to solve problems specific to your field or role vs. worrying about some distant future where technology might replace particular functions that humans shouldn't be spending their valuable time on anyways.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Middle Managers Vulnerable as 120 Companies Announce Layoffs
Companies across a broad array of industries and business sectors are announcing layoffs in May, according to a national website where companies are required to report such moves. From retail to banking, food service to technology, over 120 companies are letting workers go by the dozens - or by the hundreds - according to reports published in Newsweek. Against this backdrop, organizations and employees are questioning the role of middle managers, moving towards self-directed work teams, and taking steps to cut into the middle. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg led the charge months ago, saying that 'managers managing managers' is a symbol of inefficiency, not support. Companies like Citi followed, reducing its 13 levels of management to eight. According to a survey from Korn Ferry, 44% of companies have cut back at the manager level. And that trend is expected to continue: Gartner predicts that 20% of organizations will use AI to flatten their organizations, eliminating more than half of current middle management in 2026. Perhaps it's time to explore what leaders are really thinking in the age of AI. Planning, organizing and allocating resources are key parts of the manager's job description. Setting goals, or OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), is the first step in tracking performance and accountability from teams. Couldn't AI be used to allocate resources, identify and communicate goals, and provide follow-ups to ensure performance? Could agentic AI create work schedules, and provide follow-up reminders to direct performance, guide learning and increase personal development? For anyone who's used DuoLingo, the answer is, 'Yes.' Welcome to your performance review, conducted by ChatGPT. Perhaps the above analysis misses a key component of what managers really do: they coach and encourage their employees on an interpersonal (human) level. What happens when that connection is lost? Losing managers can leave employees feeling 'directionless', according to Korn Ferry - where 40% of recent survey respondents identify this kind of uncertainty when managers are let go. Notice that sentiment and shareholder value are two different things. The fact is, AI is inevitable. That's why it's vital that employees (especially executives and managers) get clear on what's ahead. When companies provide guidance and training on self-directed work teams (emphasizing the importance of self-leadership) they provide a new framework for decision making and performance. The key metric here, for business leaders, isn't a layoff statistic. It's a measurement of engagement. Gallup reports that engagement has dropped another 2%, costing the world economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity. Instead of lamenting the current shifts around middle management, organizations need to take steps to drive employee engagement - a suffering metric that is directly tied to profitability, growth and customer expansion. At the heart of engagement is a two-part communication issue, for leaders and executives: (1) Can you walk the talk? and (2) What, exactly, is the talk? A Harvard Business Review post on the 'Middle Manager of the Future' features this ambitious subheading: 'Skilled middle managers foster collaboration, inspire employees and link important functions at companies.' Middle managers aren't an endangered species, according to the article. They are evolving. But towards what exactly? For forward-thinking leaders, the manager evolution points towards more self-directed work teams. Preparing for the future, for individual contributors and job seekers, means understanding how to be 'manager-proof'. Do you embrace self-directed work teams - not from a classroom standpoint, but from a practical one? Are you able to take ownership of tasks and responsibilities, identifying what needs to be done, with clarity? Inside the self-directed work team, are you able to be persuasive, clear and compelling as you share your ideas? In the age of AI, survival of the fittest means taking greater ownership in your role - and your career. Being able to identify what needs to be done, and the resources needed to do it, is everybody's job right now. Middle management is shrinking - but self-leadership has never been more important. Sophisticated leaders know that driving engagement begins with clear communication around a company's purpose. For employees, that same kind of clarity of purpose is required. The past has passed; the future of work is changing right now. How is your purpose aligned (aka 'engaged') in the world of AI? Gallup says that 'if the world's workplace was [sic] fully engaged, $9.6 trillion in productivity could be added to the global economy.' Making employees manager-proof is the first step, on a human level, for improving engagement in age of AI. Training and coaching is key to understanding the new paradigm. For leaders, concentrate on what your organization needs, right now: greater engagement. If you are going to move forward in you career, at any level, focus on self-leadership. And if you are struggling with where you are, and where your career or company is headed: coaching can help. You want to have every possible resource enrolled in your success. For high-growth executives, coaching the organization around greater ownership, human insight, and collaboration (with or without managers) is crucial to your purpose. And your company's profits. In a world where layoffs continue, self-leadership is the key to the future of work.
Boston Globe
21-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Want to leave the US for good? How to get dual citizenship.
Tourists are limited by their guest status. Dual citizens, however, are granted many of the same privileges as locals. They can purchase property, apply for jobs, attend school, acquire a passport and stay for as long as they wish. (Some perks, such as voting and health care, may require residency.) Advertisement U.S. citizens can obtain another country's citizenship through a variety of means, such as investment; naturalization; or descent, officially known as jus sanguinis, the Latin term for 'right of blood.' The ancestral track is often the most achievable because it doesn't require a fat bank account, long-term residency in a foreign country or advanced DuoLingo lessons. A direct relative from abroad will suffice. Advertisement 'The most common route is by descent, typically through a grandparent,' said Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University who has written books on dual citizenship. 'An increasing number of Americans are now doing this.' The benefits of dual citizenship You already have U.S. citizenship and a passport, which ranks as one of the most powerful in the world. Why do you need another? So many reasons. For new adventures and opportunities - personal, professional, academic and/or financial. To connect with your heritage on a deeper level. For retirement planning, or to alleviate your tax burden. For ease of foreign travel, including speedier border entry and local discounts. To escape political unrest or social turmoil. Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, an international agency that specializes in second residencies and citizenships, said many of his company's clients seek second citizenship as a 'Plan B.' Whether they relocate to their backup address or not, they are comforted by the idea of a safe haven, a place where they can retreat if their corner of the world goes haywire. " The last four months have accelerated that feeling for a part of the population in the United States," Arton said. Matthew S. Dunn, an immigration lawyer at Kramer Levin, said people are fleeing more than just the policies of Trump and his predecessor. 'People from both sides of the aisle or a range of political beliefs are looking for a more stable environment,' Dunn said. 'They feel that their beliefs are not in line with either administration and want to get away from it.' Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing partner at Henley & Partners, said his firm has noticed an 'unprecedented increase' in demand from U.S. citizens, who make up nearly a quarter of his customer base, up from 4 percent in 2018. They are especially interested in citizenship from a European Union country, a skeleton key that will open doors to all 27 members. Advertisement 'It's quite powerful,' Mohr-Elzeki said of E.U. citizenship. Dual citizenship wasn't always so coveted, Spiro said. As recently as the late 20th century, it was considered an act of treason. Today, it is a status symbol, the calling card of globe-trotters. 'Since the end of the Cold War, we've witnessed close to an 180-degree shift in attitude,' Spiro said. How to check eligibility in the U.K., Ireland, and Poland To determine whether you are eligible for citizenship by ancestry, examine your family tree, focusing on the main branches. In general, lineage must come directly through a parent or grandparent, not an aunt or brother. Once you have a list of countries with a verifiable generational link, confirm that the governments allow multiple citizenships. Be careful because some countries require you to renounce your primary citizenship. The United States permits dual citizenship, as does most of Europe and much of Africa, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Asia has more 'holdout' countries, Spiro said, such as Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. The Middle East is a mixed bag. Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon allow it; Qatar, Bahrain and Oman do not. Henley & Partners lists more than 145 countries that permit multiple citizenships, though some favor investments over ancestry. Next, check to see whether you qualify. A country's consulate or agency that handles citizenship might illustrate the scenarios - a grandparent was born in the country, for instance, or a parent with citizenship was not - so you can find the one that best matches your family history. Advertisement Dates and circumstances can be important. The United Kingdom's lists several categories for applicants with a British parent, based on birth date: on or after July 1, 2006; between 1983 and June 2006; or after 1983. The conditions are slightly different. Some nations have less demanding qualifications than others. Citizenship specialists often mention Ireland and Poland as relatively easy, especially compared with France, Scandinavia and Italy. 'Italy is pretty complicated, but Ireland is straightforward,' Spiro said. 'It's almost like just signing up.' Acquiring Polish citizenship can be as simple as obtaining your grandparent's birth certificate, Mohr-Elzeki said. 'They would not have to learn the language or demonstrate ties to the country. They could do this at a distance as long as the grandparents were Polish citizens,' he said. The process becomes a bit more complicated if the relative became a citizen of their adopted home, severing the ancestral line. However, in many cases, you can still obtain citizenship if your grandparent was still a citizen of their homeland at the time of your parent's birth. That is how Filardo qualified. 'I knew my grandfather was born in Italy. I knew my grandparents came to this country and my father was born right after,' Filardo said. 'It's not like there was any question that these people were Italian and I had a right to the citizenship.' While some countries are opening their arms wider to new citizens, others are moving in the opposite direction. Last month, Italy capped lineage at parents and grandparents, removing great-grandparents from the roster of accepted relatives. It is also shifting the application process from Italian consulates and municipalities to one office in Rome. Advertisement Marco Permunian, lead attorney at Italian Dual Citizenship, which facilitates more than 2,000 applications a year, said the changes could shrink the pool of eligible applicants. Meanwhile, the consolidation of services to one site could create a backlog. He warned that the processing period could stretch beyond the average wait time of 2½ years. 'The community in North America is very frustrated,' Permunian said during a phone call from his office in Italy. 'It's a moment of uncertainty right now.' Privileges for descendants of immigrants fleeing persecution Several years ago, Heather Foster - who dreams of retiring in Europe with her husband - learned from a colleague about another path to citizenship: reparative citizenship. This category grants citizenship to descendants whose family members were expelled from their home country or denied citizenship because of war or persecution. The co-worker 'was getting Austrian citizenship as part of Holocaust reparations, so I started looking into it,' said Foster, 44, who works in health care. 'My grandfather fled Austria during the Holocaust, so I realized I might be eligible as well.' According to the Austrian Embassy in Washington, descendants may be eligible for citizenship if their family member 'feared or suffered persecution by organs of the National Socialist German Workers' Party … or of the authorities of the German Reich.' This group includes Austrians who 'died due to persecution or were deported abroad before May 9, 1945.' Similarly, German law states that the country will naturalize 'victims of persecution by the Nazi regime who were deprived of their German nationality on political, racial or religious grounds' between Jan. 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945 - the date of the country's World War II surrender. The law also covers their descendants. Advertisement In Spain, the 2007 Historical Memory Law, which was expanded 15 years later, attempts to repair injustices that occurred during the Spanish Civil War and Franco's dictatorship. Descendants of Spanish parents or grandparents who were exiled - for political, ideological or religious reasons, or because of sexual orientation or identity - may be entitled to citizenship. Benin recently passed a law granting citizenship to descendants of sub-Saharan Africans who were forcibly removed from the continent in the transatlantic slave trade. Nearly 20 years ago, Sierra Leone overturned a law that prohibited dual citizenship, a welcoming gesture to Sierra Leoneans in the African diaspora. Through Ghana's 'Year of the Return' program in 2019 and subsequent initiatives, hundreds of people from the diaspora have earned citizenship. The West African country also extends 'right of abode' rights to these community members, allowing them to live and work there without restrictions. During the Holocaust, Foster's grandfather fled to the United States via Switzerland. Though he survived the war, she said she is sensitive to the fact that her Austrian citizenship is tied to his plight. 'I was pleased to learn about this opportunity. Pleased is not quite the right word, though, because it comes with so much history and baggage and trauma,' she said. 'It's an unfortunate way to gain citizenship.' This summer, Foster hopes to visit Austria as a citizen. How much it costs to pursue dual citizenship Applying for citizenship can feel like tumbling down a 23andMe hole. You may become very familiar with your ancestral history and might even pick up a few new words in the native tongue. 'Some of the records are in the home countries, so you really have to do a deep dive,' said Matthew S. Dunn, the immigration lawyer at Kramer Levin. On vacation in Italy in 2001, Filardo visited her grandfather's village in Calabria to retrieve his birth certificate. In late 2019, she moved to Italy for a year to establish residency, circumventing the long wait to secure an appointment with the Italian consulate in New York City. 'If you declare you live in New York City with millions of other Italian Americans,' Filardo said, 'getting an appointment to get your citizenship is almost impossible.' For her Austrian application, Foster relied heavily on an aunt who resides in her grandfather's former house in New Jersey and oversees boxes of archival documents. She frequently called upon Google Translate, as well. If the application isn't too complex or the documents too difficult to collect, citizenship experts say, the applicant can lean on their own research and administrative skills. Foster completed the process herself, paying minimal expenses that added up to a few hundred dollars. " The costs are mostly related to sending in documents to be authenticated," she said. 'It's $20 here, $20 there, $50 for the fingerprinting, and then mostly mailing everything overnight to get it authenticated.' Filardo plunked down more money. She hired a lawyer in Italy, paying about $5,700 for his assistance with residency and the application. However, she spent less than some of Permunian's clients, who commit upward of $10,000 for a second citizenship. 'It isn't surprising to me how many businesses have cropped up offering to help people with this as a service,' Filardo said. 'For years, it was like a part-time job.' But now, Filardo can retire from it in Italy.
