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Public Service Announcement by Luis von Ahn
Jul 12, 2024
Public Service Announcement by Luis von Ahn
Introduction
Speaker: Luis von Ahn
Nationality: Guatemalan
Distinction between Guatemala and Guantanamo (laughter).
Location of Guatemala: below Mexico.
Guatemala compared to Mexico: "Mexico's Mexico" (laughter).
Guatemala's Situation
Guatemala: small, poor country with excellent food.
Education seen as a source of inequality:
Rich have access to good education, continue wealth.
Poor lack good education, remain poor.
Speaker received quality education due to mother's efforts.
Motivation for Equal Education
Goal: Provide equal access to education for all.
Background: Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.
Project partner: PhD student, Severin.
Focus area: Language education (start with one subject).
Decision influenced by large demand for language learning:
~2 billion people learning a foreign language.
80% learning English.
Learning English can significantly increase income potential.
Duolingo: Language Learning App
Importance of accessibility via smartphones.
Freemium model:
Free access with ads.
Subscription option to remove ads.
Wealth redistribution: Rich countries’ users fund the education for poorer countries.
Tackling Engagement Challenges
Smartphones: Come with addictive apps (e.g., TikTok, Instagram).
Duolingo aims to make learning engaging like these apps:
Strategies to keep users engaged:
Streaks: Daily usage counter.
Notifications: Reminders optimized by AI.
Passive aggressive notifications.
Impact and Reach
Engagement statistics:
3 million users with streaks over 365 days.
Japan has longest average streaks, Latin America shortest.
Memes and cultural impact:
Green owl mascot in numerous internet memes.
Future Vision
Applying techniques to other subjects (math, physics, etc.).
Educational apps do not need to be as engaging as social media.
Key point: Education provides meaning and internal satisfaction.
Goal: Deliver high-quality education to everyone via mobile phones.
Call to Action
Reminder to complete language lessons.
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