#learning study

[blueaprondelight]

hey! did you know that duolingo is turning into an ai-driven company? here's what that means: per the USA Today article posted yesterday on this: "Duolingo is going to be "AI-first", the educational technology company announced, adding that it is replacing contract workers with artificial intelligence."

now yes. duolingo has used ai in the past. in 2024, the Duolingo Guides page reported that their AI uses user data to improve models. however, this did not literally replace human beings in the process.

according to their CEO, they believe this is going to be an example of how "generative AI can directly benefit our learners". despite the fact this doesn't benefit the human contractors you're replacing in place of robots.

here's why supporting AI is problematic: not only does it take away from human beings, but it also is bad for the environment. studies have shown that particularly during the training of complex models, the infrastructure needed to do this training results in high energy consumption.

this also leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and puts a strain on water resources that are used for cooling data censors. as well, studies show that the manufacturing and disposal of AI hardware contribute to electronic waste and resource depletion.

so, below the cut, there's a list below of language learning apps that do what duolingo does but aren't driven by robots! (and no, you do not have to stop using duolingo. these other apps are simply ones that provide the same services while taking care of both the environment and - as far as i know - human employees.)

Mango Languages (4.8 stars on the Apple App Store) - this app has had really great reviews from people, citing that you can get free access by using your library card (so it supports libraries!) and teaches actual pronunciation whereas duo has been reported for not being accurate with its teachings.

Babbel (4.7 stars on the Apple App Store) - people have rated this app as being easy to use and convenient! they also report that they are backed by researchers at Yale University and Michigan State University, with MSU reporting that after 10 hours, researchers found that 96% of users saw better test scores and 73% became better speakers!

Lingvist (4.6 stars on the Apple App Store) - reviews cite this as a practical app, with one person saying it focuses on repetition and frequently spoken words instead of nouns and verbs you'd rarely use.

any other suggestions in my inbox will be included in this list. stop supporting "AI-first" companies, support human beings.

[asinglebluefeline]

He works alone.

[curiositysavesthecat]

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[egophiliac]

doylist explanation for why Gidel is only in Fellow's non-idle lesson animations: probably something about space constraints and making sure two sprites in one seat aren't covering anyone else when they're not in focus

watsonian explanation for why Gidel is only in Fellow's non-idle lesson animations: he snuck in and is hiding from the teachers, don't give him away 🤫

(I've reached my limit of unsuccessful attempts at pulling them before I need to save keys for Halloween, so I've been living vicariously through youtube videos...but the fact that Gidel just pops up from under the desk to wave his arms around happily is really testing my resolve. D: I'm gonna die when they finally get to do alchemy...)

[phantasymistart]

uh oh guys new favourite character time

[harriertail]

the sun traill, gouache study

[h0n3ym00n333]

coffee + ancient greek ˖˚⊹ ꣑ৎ‎ (or pics from study sessions that i never posted)

[unearthitaly]

I very much agree with these suggestions. Forcing myself to write was the way I could finally start to become an active rather than a passive user of the target language.

[mochibiscuit]

Another Pangur piece :3 @pangur-and-grim

[tenowls]

rivals

[eydilily]

your pearl is one of my favorite designs for her i’ve ever seen <3 her face shape feels so right, and i love how you draw her hair. by way of a request, have you ever drawn her as an avian?

thank you so much! pearl's design is definitely my favorite to draw :')

ive done a bit of practice with pearl and grian as avians but that was way before i started posting hc publicly! ( these ones are new :D )

also played around with an alternate version! i dont know much about birds but i saw the australian barn owl and took more inspo from them

[caramelcuppaccino]

took my german b1 level mid-term, patiently waiting for the result.

[zipsunz]

iwatodai dorm art club ✏️

(art by me, script by @sunkitty143)

[zinzabee]

Throwing this out there in case people are working on learning how to draw Raph and need some help. His design/proportions are way different from the other brothers and most of the time I see people instinctually going for normal human proportions with him.

((And you are more than welcome to continue drawing him that way if you wish to do so; this isn't a callout post or anything! /gen))

But for those who want to adhere closer to his cannon design, ya gotta specifically break some of those art school anatomy rules you learned.

Also adding this for the neck muscles from another post I did a while back.

Go forth and draw the big turtle boy!!

[asinglebluefeline]

"Orion in declension... Rigel and Betelgeuse lined up for true north... easy to navigate... ... and beautiful..."

– Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne