No AI, no job. These companies are requiring workers to use the tech.

(Illustration by Elena Lacey/The Washington Post)

By Danielle Abril

SAN FRANCISCO — Luis von Ahn hoped to send a clear message to his 900 employees at Duolingo: Artificial intelligence is now a priority at the language-learning app.

The company would stop using contractors for work AI could handle. It’ll seek AI skills in hiring. AI would be part of performance reviews, and it’ll only hire people when things can’t be automated. The details, outlined in a memo in April and posted on professional networking site LinkedIn, drew outrage.