An internal memo from Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify, has leaked online, causing debate around how leading tech providers view the future of AI in the workplace.
Following the leak, Lutke posted the complete memo on X, explaining: “I heard this internal memo of mine is being leaked right now, so here it is.”
There are some huge takeaways, including the subtle suggestion that Shopify’s hiring team will recruit an AI before they hire a human.
As Lutke explained:
Before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.
He also advised his staff to picture: “What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?”
From this, AI is seemingly now a baseline expectation at Shopify.
AI Agents as “Teammates”, Not Tools
Lutke highlighted that many employees may already use AI as a “thought partner, deep researcher, critic, tutor, or pair programmer.” He continued:
Frankly, I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning a new skill of applying AI in your craft; you are welcome to try, but I want to be honest. I cannot see this working out today, and definitely not tomorrow.
Here, the CEO also indicates that Shopify will likely favor AI-fluent candidates when it does spot the need to add new human employees in the future.
AI Usage Is Now a Key Measurable
While enterprises have spent considerable time ‘dabbling’ in AI and piloting it at scale, Shopify’s approach to AI becoming a key measure is particularly interesting.
Indeed, Shopify will now add AI usage questions to its performance and peer review questionnaire.
According to the memo, learning to prompt and load context will also become a key skill, and getting peers to provide feedback on how this is going will be valuable.
These moves demonstrate how Shopify clearly views AI as both a tool to empower and replace staff across the enterprise.
Yet, “empower” may not be the right word. After all, Lutke clearly wants AI to drive more impact per person.
Other businesses will think similarly. For some, that could be great for the employee experience. For others, it could soon become a tool to beat employees with.
Shopify Isn’t Alone in AI Direction
It is no surprise that other enterprises are considering making AI a core part of their business infrastructure.
Commenting on the leaked memo, Jeetu Patel, Chief Product Officer at Cisco, gave his two cents worth.
His top line: “There is more to lose by being late than early.”
Patel added: “This note from Tobi to his employees at Shopify isn’t much different from what we have been discussing at Cisco for the past several months.”
He explained that the reality is that the time for rational skepticism of AI has now come to an end. “It is now irrational to not be going full speed in AI adoption.
Even if you see challenges with AI, don’t use those challenges as justifications for not learning how to use AI. Rather, use the challenges you see to increase your dexterity with AI and bring your feedback into the overall process of iteration and improvement.
“I greatly encourage every Cisco employee to read this memo from Tobi at Shopify. I couldn’t agree with him more and appreciate how eloquently the sense of urgency and strategy is clearly articulated,” Patel concluded.
So, should employees ‘get with the program’, or is resistance a natural part of human instinct? Have your say on our Reddit Community.
