# Luis von Ahn

> Guatemalan entrepreneur and computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q92984](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q92984)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_von_Ahn)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/luis-von-ahn

## Summary
Luis von Ahn is a Guatemalan computer scientist and entrepreneur best known for co-founding Duolingo, the world's most popular language-learning platform, and inventing reCAPTCHA, a widely used security system that digitized millions of books. He is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a pioneer in crowdsourcing and human computation.

## Biography
- **Born**: August 19, 1978, in Guatemala City, Guatemala
- **Nationality**: Guatemalan
- **Education**:
  - Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Duke University (1996–2000)
  - Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University (2000–2008)
- **Known for**: Creating reCAPTCHA and co-founding Duolingo
- **Employer(s)**:
  - Carnegie Mellon University (2005–present)
  - Google (2009–2011)
  - Duolingo (2011–present, CEO)
- **Field(s)**: Computer science, human computation, crowdsourcing, language learning

## Contributions
Luis von Ahn is renowned for his work in human computation and crowdsourcing. In 2007, he invented **reCAPTCHA**, a system that uses distorted text to distinguish humans from bots while simultaneously digitizing books and newspapers. Acquired by Google in 2009, reCAPTCHA helped digitize over 13 million articles from *The New York Times* archive and improved Google Books.

In 2011, von Ahn co-founded **Duolingo**, a free language-learning platform that uses gamification to teach languages. Duolingo has grown into the most downloaded education app globally, with over 500 million users. His research also includes **ESP Game** (2003), a pioneering crowdsourcing game that labeled images for computer vision, and **Duolingo English Test**, an affordable language proficiency exam.

Von Ahn’s work bridges academia and industry, with over 50 published papers and multiple patents. His innovations have democratized access to education and security tools, leveraging collective human effort to solve large-scale problems.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Luis von Ahn best known for?
A: Luis von Ahn is best known for inventing reCAPTCHA, a security system that digitized millions of books, and co-founding Duolingo, the world’s most popular language-learning platform.

### Q: Where did Luis von Ahn study?
A: He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Duke University (2000) and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University (2008), advised by Manuel Blum.

### Q: What awards has Luis von Ahn received?
A: He has received numerous accolades, including the MacArthur Fellowship (2006), the Grace Murray Hopper Award (2011), and the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2018). He was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2023.

### Q: How did reCAPTCHA work?
A: reCAPTCHA presented users with distorted text from scanned books or newspapers. By solving these puzzles, users helped digitize text that computers couldn’t read, contributing to large-scale digitization projects.

### Q: What is Duolingo’s mission?
A: Duolingo aims to make education free and accessible globally. Its gamified approach to language learning has attracted over 500 million users worldwide.

## Why They Matter
Luis von Ahn’s work has revolutionized how humans and computers collaborate to solve problems. reCAPTCHA demonstrated that small, everyday actions (like solving a CAPTCHA) could collectively achieve massive goals, such as digitizing historical texts. Duolingo disrupted traditional language education by making it free, engaging, and scalable, breaking down financial and geographical barriers.

His innovations in crowdsourcing have influenced fields beyond computer science, including education, security, and digital preservation. Von Ahn’s emphasis on accessibility and practical impact has inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and researchers to tackle global challenges through technology.

## Notable For
- Inventor of **reCAPTCHA** (2007), acquired by Google in 2009.
- Co-founder and CEO of **Duolingo** (2011–present), the world’s most popular language-learning platform.
- Recipient of the **MacArthur Fellowship** (2006) and **Lemelson-MIT Prize** (2018).
- Inducted into the **National Inventors Hall of Fame** (2023).
- Pioneer in **human computation** and crowdsourcing, with foundational work like the **ESP Game** (2003).

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Luis von Ahn was born on August 19, 1978, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He attended the American School of Guatemala before earning a scholarship to Duke University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 2000. He then pursued a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University under the supervision of Manuel Blum, completing his doctorate in 2008.

### Career and Research
Von Ahn joined Carnegie Mellon University as a professor in 2005, where he continues to teach and conduct research. His early work focused on **human computation**, leading to the creation of the **ESP Game** (2003), which used gamification to label images for computer vision.

In 2007, he invented **reCAPTCHA**, a system that leveraged CAPTCHAs to digitize text from books and newspapers. Google acquired reCAPTCHA in 2009, integrating it into its digitization efforts.

In 2011, von Ahn co-founded **Duolingo** with Severin Hacker, his former Ph.D. student. Duolingo’s freemium model and gamified approach have made it the most downloaded education app globally, with over 500 million users.

### Awards and Recognition
Von Ahn’s contributions have earned him numerous awards, including:
- **MacArthur Fellowship** (2006)
- **Grace Murray Hopper Award** (2011)
- **Lemelson-MIT Prize** (2018)
- **National Inventors Hall of Fame** (2023)

### Influence and Legacy
Von Ahn’s work has demonstrated the power of crowdsourcing to solve large-scale problems. His innovations have influenced fields ranging from digital security to education, emphasizing accessibility and practical impact. Duolingo, in particular, has redefined language learning, making it free and engaging for millions worldwide.

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## References

1. [Source](http://www.businessinsider.com.au/luis-von-ahn-creator-of-duolingo-recaptcha-2014-3)
2. [Source](http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-29/your-next-job-translating-the-web)
3. [Source](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-28/your-next-job-translating-the-web.html)
4. Integrated Authority File
5. [Source](https://www.lesechos.fr/tech-medias/hightech/duolingo-demarre-en-trombe-pour-son-premier-jour-de-cotation-a-wall-street-1335500)
6. [Source](https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/luis-von-ahn)
7. [Source](https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~biglou/)
8. [Source](https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2012/july/july23_presidentialcareerawards.html)
9. [Source](https://www.cmu.edu/homepage/society/2012/summer/pecase-winners.shtml)
10. [Source](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/23/president-obama-honors-outstanding-early-career-scientists)
11. [Source](http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=631)
12. [Source](https://archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/duolingo-ceo-luis-von-ahn-wins-500k-lemelson-prize-from-mit/)
13. [Source](https://www.nsf.gov/awards/PECASE/recip_details.jsp;jsessionid=45FC22C0AA181CEF0434F1EF24D7133C?pecase_id=319)
14. [Source](https://www.packard.org/what-we-fund/science/packard-fellowships-for-science-and-engineering/fellowship-directory/von-ahn-luis/)
15. [Source](https://www.guatemaltecosilustres.com/#/perfil/luis-von-ahn)
16. Mathematics Genealogy Project
17. [Source](https://kilthub.cmu.edu/ndownloader/files/12247874)
18. International Standard Name Identifier
19. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
20. [Source](https://www.facebook.com/luisvonahn/)
21. Virtual International Authority File
22. Quora
23. [Source](https://www.podchaser.com/creators/luis-von-ahn-107ZzpvPmi/appearances)