DeepL CEO Jarek Kutylowski describes why, in his opinion, classic corporate structures no longer work.
The German AI translator DeepL is cutting around 250 jobs. This affects around a quarter of employees. CEO and founder Jarek Kutylowski justified the move in an unusually open statement with the rapid change caused by artificial intelligence.
“We are currently experiencing a massive structural change in what work exists, who does it and how many people are needed to do it,” writes Kutylowski. AI is not just a productivity tool, but is fundamentally changing how companies are built.
Deepl wants to work in a significantly “AI-native” way in the future: smaller teams, fewer hierarchies, faster decisions. AI should be deeply integrated into all processes – from product development to sales. This means that individuals can do work that previously required entire teams.
The CEO is particularly clear when asked whether Deepl’s previous structure still works: “The honest answer was: No. What got us here won’t get us where we need to go.”
At the same time, DeepL continues to invest in new AI products. The company takes over the team from US audio startup Mixhalo and opens an office in San Francisco. Deepl sees real-time language translation in particular as the next big growth area.
At the end of his statement, Kutylowski describes a working world in which classic specialization could become less important. In the future, judgment, focus and personal responsibility will be required above all.
