📰 At Shopify, AI Gets Hired First

The e-commerce giant won’t add new staff unless AI truly can’t do the job. Here’s what that means for the future of work.

Shopify SHOP 0.00%↑ just raised the bar when it comes to using AI at work, and maybe made hiring new people less likely. In a company-wide memo, CEO Tobi Lütke told employees that they can’t ask for more people or resources unless they can prove that AI can’t do the job. This isn’t just a suggestion, it’s the new rule. Before growing a team, everyone now has to ask: What would this look like if AI was already doing the work?

AI as a teammate

Shopify has been building AI tools like Sidekick (a chatbot for store owners) and Shopify Magic (automation features) for a while. But this memo marks a bigger shift: AI isn’t just there to support your work, it’s expected to do the work, unless proven otherwise.

In fact, using AI is now expected from everyone. And how well you use it will be part of how your performance is measured.

Smarter ways of working

This move fits into a larger trend in tech: companies are cutting costs and getting leaner, while putting more money into AI. Shopify has already laid off a big part of its workforce over the past two years. Now, instead of slowly hiring again, the company is going all-in on automation.

At a recent investor event, Shopify’s CFO confirmed the plan: the number of employees will stay flat. If costs go up, it’ll be from hiring highly paid AI engineers, not from growing the team.

What does this mean for everyone else?

This shift isn’t just about Shopify, it could signal what’s coming for other tech companies too. When a major player treats AI as a full team member, others might follow.

For workers, this means jobs are changing. AI will now handle the first draft or first step. Your role? Guide it, improve it, and step in when AI falls short. The most valuable skill now is knowing how and when to use AI effectively.

AI is now the first job candidate

This isn’t about fear, it’s about a new way of working. Shopify’s message is clear: if AI can do the job, it should do the job. And humans now have to show where they’re still needed.

Will this become the standard across industries? Time will tell. But one thing’s clear: in the future of work, AI isn’t just helping, it’s leading. And unless there’s a clear reason for a human to do it, the job goes to the algorithm.

Source: The Verge, CNBC

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