Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke’s latest internal memo is making waves! He’s asking teams to justify why AI can’t handle a task before requesting more resources or headcount. What does this mean for the way we work—and how we use AI? Let’s dive into the story and what it could mean for all of us.
Hey, did you hear? There’s a buzz in the tech world lately, and the spotlight is on Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lütke. He just sent out an internal message to employees with a bold—some might say shocking—requirement: Before you request more people or resources, you must first prove why AI can’t handle the job.
Yep, you read that right. It’s not just about encouraging AI use—it’s about putting “AI first” right into the decision-making process. Unsurprisingly, this sparked quite a debate. After all, this sounds like: AI first, humans second?
You might be wondering if this CEO is just another tech-obsessed futurist. But in the memo, Lütke explains that it’s not just about saving money (although efficiency often brings cost savings). The deeper goal is to force everyone to think: what role can AI really play in our workflow?
He even posed a thought-provoking question: “What would this area look like if we already had an automated AI agent on the team?”
That’s a pretty wild question, right? He’s not asking you to immediately deliver a flawless AI solution—but he is encouraging a new mindset. One that steps outside the traditional box and experiments with what’s possible, especially using AI as a tool that’s growing more powerful by the day. Lütke says AI is a fundamental shift in how companies operate—and one of the fastest he’s seen in his entire career. Coming from a tech CEO, that carries weight.
Lütke didn’t mince words: Effectively using AI is now a baseline expectation for Shopify employees.
What’s the subtext here? Basically, if you’re treating AI like a nice-to-have toy, that’s not going to cut it anymore. Lütke stresses that mastering AI is a skill that needs ongoing learning—and that employees should take the initiative to experiment and practice.
He even quoted something he’d said previously: “Effective use of AI is now a baseline expectation of everyone at Shopify… Frankly, I don’t think choosing not to learn how to apply AI in your domain is viable… stagnation is almost certain, and stagnation is slow failure.”
Honestly, at this point, some people might feel a chill. This implies that falling behind on AI isn’t just a productivity issue—it might affect your career trajectory. Lütke’s stance is clear: AI isn’t the future—it’s the now, and it’s foundational for surviving in today’s workplace.
All talk and no action? Not here. Shopify seems ready to back this up with real metrics. Lütke shared that they’ll be including AI-related questions in performance reviews and peer assessments.
That’s a serious move—and a practical one. Because learning how to actually use AI well—how to write solid prompts and give proper context—isn’t easy. Plenty of people try it, get a disappointing answer, and give up.
Lütke clearly knows this. He said: “Learning to make great use of AI is an un-obvious skill… My sense is that many people gave up after writing a prompt and not getting the perfect answer right away.” By making it part of performance feedback, Shopify hopes to build a culture of shared AI learning—where people learn from each other and improve together.
At this point, a common fear pops up: “Are we all going to lose our jobs to AI?”
Take a breath. At the end of his message, Lütke actually points to what he believes is the key to success: combining human expertise with the power of AI to better serve merchants.
Did you catch that? Combining, not replacing. At least for now, Shopify’s approach seems to treat AI as a powerful assistant or force multiplier. Human judgment, creativity, and experience—enhanced by AI’s data crunching and pattern recognition—could create results greater than the sum of their parts.
Of course, not all roles are safe forever. This policy will undoubtedly speed up the transformation of repetitive or automatable tasks. But it also highlights how crucial it is to learn to collaborate with AI.
This move by Shopify sends a clear message to all businesses and workers alike—it’s either a wake-up call or a rallying cry, depending on how you look at it. The AI wave is already here. As Lütke suggests: embrace it, learn it, experiment with it.
So here’s the real question: If your boss asked the same thing, would you be ready?
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