AI is everywhere now—and at Bubblegum, we embrace it. We use AI to help us write, design, and build better language learning experiences.
Yes, even our blog posts are written with AI assistance. 😛
Each blog post goes through literally hundreds of iterations.
We write a first draft based on our real experiences and beliefs. Then, we use AI to help structure our thoughts better, catch awkward phrasing, and ensure clarity. We look at what it writes and continue to refine it, repeating the cycle until we feel like we've captured our perspectives as humans who have gone through the rich experience of learning a language.
The thing is, we've noticed something important: as AI becomes more prevalent, authentic human communication becomes more precious, not less. That's why we have a simple philosophy: AI never starts the conversation. Humans do.
Right now, there's a human (hey, that's me!) sitting at a keyboard, typing these words, sharing real thoughts and experiences.
AI helps us refine our language, catch typos, and sometimes suggests better ways to express our ideas. But at the end of the day, we humans at Bubblegum come up with the what, how, and why behind these posts.
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
We believe it's short-sighted to ignore AI completely. The technology is incredible—it can help us iterate faster, learn more efficiently, and create better experiences for language learners. But it's equally short-sighted to just throw everything into AI and hope for the best.
Our approach is simple: We start with human experiences, human struggles, and human joy in language learning. Then we use AI to amplify and refine those authentic experiences.
When you use Bubblegum, you're experiencing this philosophy in action:
- Useful comprehensible input augmented with AI-assisted translations and explanations
- Human-centered lessons enhanced by AI personalization
- Real language-learner insights powered by AI analysis
We're not trying to hide our AI use—we're proud of how we use it responsibly to serve real human needs.
Speaking of being human-first, let's talk about something that's been on our minds: social media.
We're deeply inspired by companies like Lush and their anti-social media policy. They recognize and act on something crucial: many social platforms are designed to make people feel inadequate, driving engagement through comparison and FOMO.
The language learning space on social media can lead to comparisons. "I learned Korean in 3 months!" posts that make you feel like a failure for taking years or streak brags that turn learning into a competition. Everyone's journey looks different, and that's okay.
That's not what we want to create.
When we share content, we want people to feel:
- Inspired, not inadequate
- Empowered, not ashamed
- Connected, not compared
- Motivated by possibility, not guilt
This is why we're incredibly careful about what we put online to represent our brand. Every post, every story, every interaction is filtered through this lens: Will this help someone feel more capable of learning a language, or less?
Meet Gina: Our New Voice on Social
Which brings us to some exciting news! We've just brought on Gina as our part-time social media manager.
Here's the thing—we didn't even have a traditional interview. We posted the role, found her profile, and asked some questions. Gina sent us a response that was so authentic and aligned with our mission that we hired her right away. Her message perfectly captured what we're all about:
Gina's response:
"Thank you so much for reaching out — your message truly made my day! As a lifelong language learner, this isn't just a job opportunity for me — it feels personal.
I've studied English since immigrating to the U.S., minored in Japanese during university (including a one-year exchange in Tokyo), and earned the JLPT N2 certificate at that time. Currently, I'm learning Korean while living in South Korea, and recently achieved TOPIK level 4.
As an adult language learner, I understand how frustrating it can be to stay motivated or improve speaking fluency — which is why I love your mission: making language learning more engaging, human, and fun.
A few quick answers about my language learning journey:
- What I liked: Being able to connect with others in different languages — it's a rewarding and empowering feeling. Also, more job opportunities.
- What I disliked: Because I'm a bit shy, I tend to avoid speaking out of fear of making mistakes — which can hold me back from practicing speaking more freely.
I'd love to help grow your social media presence, connect with the Korean-learning community in the U.S. and Canada (Note: this was our initial focus for launch!), and contribute to your mission long-term. I genuinely believe in what you're building and would be excited to be part of the journey."
That vulnerability about being shy and avoiding speaking? That fear of making mistakes? That's exactly the human experience we want to address. Gina gets it because she's lived it, and we saw that her posts inspired many other learners through her vulnerability and storytelling.
You can follow her personal language learning journey on Instagram @ginaxnana, where she documents her experience learning Korean while living in South Korea!
Want a full step-by-step guide to learning Korean? Whether you're an absolute beginner or advanced, check out How to Learn Korean in 2025!
Gina will be helping us build a social media presence that reflects our values:
- Real stories from real learners (including our own struggles)
- Honest progress that shows the ups and downs
- Celebration without comparison
- Community over competition
We're excited to grow alongside her as she brings her unique perspective to how we communicate with learners around the world.
Our Voice in Practice: Being Delightfully Human
So what does all this mean for how we actually communicate? Here are the key principles that guide every word we write:
Want the full details? Check out our complete, AI-friendly Messaging & Voice Guidelines for the comprehensive guidelines we use across all communications.
Want to understand the deeper principles behind our voice? Our communication style stems directly from our core design philosophy—9 principles that guide every decision we make at Bubblegum, from features to how we talk with learners.
We Celebrate Effort, Not Perfection
You won't hear us say "You've used our app for 20 days in a row!" Instead, you might see: "You're building real skills" or "Every conversation makes you stronger."
We're Playful, Not Patronizing
Our Bubblegum universe gives us fun metaphors: "Pops" are our custom lessons, and "chewers" are our learners. But we never talk down to you or pretend language learning is just a game.
Learners, Not Users
You're not here to be monetized. You're a human with a goal, and we want to help you achieve it. That's why we call you a "learner" or "chewer," never a "user."
No "Mastery" Language
We never use words like "master" or "mastery." Language learning is a lifelong journey—we say "develop fluency" or "build confidence" instead.
Always Encouraging
We avoid discouraging words like "barely" or "fail." Instead of "practice daily," we say "practice when you can." Instead of "you're struggling," we say "you're working on this skill."
Transparent About AI
When our AI helps you, we're clear about it: "Our AI noticed you're working on this pattern" or "This explanation was generated to match your learning style."
Our Commitment: Humans First, Always
As we grow, as AI evolves, as social media changes, our core commitment remains the same:
Humans first. Always.
This means:
- Every feature starts with a human need, not a technological possibility
- Every message considers the human reading it, not the metric it might improve
- Every use of AI serves human connection, not replaces it
- Every social-media post uplifts rather than diminishes
We're building a language learning company for the age of AI—one that embraces technology while never forgetting why we learn languages in the first place: to connect, to understand, and to share our humanity across cultures and borders.
FOR language learners, BY language learners™. With AI as a tool, not as an end-goal.