Duolingo Launches Virtual Tutor Powered by GPT-4 AI Model
Duolingo has introduced a new virtual tutor that uses real-world scenarios to help students learn better. The tutor is powered by the recently released GPT-4 AI model.
Explain My Answer
The new Duolingo Max subscription tier includes two features: Explain My Answer and Roleplay. Explain My Answer allows users to ask the chatbot Duo for a detailed explanation of why their answer was right or wrong. In an example video, the AI explains why select Spanish verbs must be conjugated a certain way given the context of the sentence. However, Duo is not universally available on all language exercises, just certain ones. On those few, an Explain My Answer button will appear at the bottom of the screen after you attempt an exercise.
Roleplay
Roleplay allows users to engage in a realistic conversation with the AI so they can practice their language skills. According to the post, no two chats will be exactly the same. In one instance, you could be talking to a “waiter” as you order coffee at a French café or discussing vacation plans in Spanish with a “friend.” And at the end of every Roleplay, Duo will give you some feedback based on the accuracy and complexity of your responses, as well as tips for future conversations.
Limited Release
Do be aware that the GPT-4 AI behind Duo is not perfect. For the new release, research laboratory OpenAI took the time to improve GPT-3’s chat abilities so it can produce more natural-sounding text, similar to how people normally speak – at least in English. GPT-4 can create language guides such as utilizing English mnemonics for Spanish words. However, as seen on Twitter, those mnemonic guides can be pretty hilarious and not always in a good way. Duolingo admits its virtual tutor will make some mistakes. As such, the company is asking users to give the AI some feedback which you can do by selecting either the “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” emoji at the end of every Explain My Answer session.
Currently, Duolingo Max is seeing a limited roll-out. The AI will only be available in either Spanish or French for English speakers on iOS, but there are plans to expand to more courses, language interfaces, and platforms in the coming months, according to a company representative.
Subscription
To subscribe to the tier, you have two methods. You can either pay $29.99 for Duolingo Max or $167.99 for the whole year. Breaking everything down, the yearly cost comes down to $13.99 a month. Additionally, you also get every feature under Super Duolingo which includes unlimited hearts for lessons, no ads, and personalized review through the Practice Hub.
For more information on AI-powered language learning, check out FLD Magazine’s list of the best AI writers for 2023.
