Rosetta Stone's Todd Hughes: AI can't replace talking to people

Hughes's own language history shows why a single label rarely captures ability. He describes his Spanish as near-native, can read and understand French extremely well but makes mistakes speaking it, and finds Danish reading easy while listening and pronunciation remain a challenge. That mix is why he approaches proficiency through four core skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—rather than a single number.

He has worked with technology in language education since 1995, when he wrote his dissertation on using it to acquire Spanish vocabulary. That long view shapes his wariness: AI can act like a huge library that never closes, generating reading material and exercises, but he sees a gap when it comes to speaking practice and the social cues around words.

The stakes for learners hinge on purpose. Duolingo says many people learn English for high-stakes reasons like a better job or higher education, and for them an accurate translation still doesn't demonstrate proficiency. If tools keep improving at vocabulary and comprehension but remain weak on tone and unscripted exchange, the likely split is between travelers who need a quick bridge and learners whose goals require sustained human practice.