- Shopify encourages workers to experiment with AI
- Constant learning and prospering in change are fundamental values
- Headcount will remain “flat”, but AI will be prioritized over new hiring
The CEO of Shopify has talked about its affinity for artificial intelligence, and it is clear that technology will play a considerable role in the future of the company.
Tobias Lutke’s thoughts had initially leaked through an internal note, but due to leaks, Lutke decided to share the exact words in an X publication.
Memory details how the company should focus on improving the effectiveness of artificial intelligence before managers request to hire more human workers, and everyone in Shopify hopes to use AI.
Shopify seems to prioritize AI over human workers
Speaking about technology, Lutke said: “I use it all the time, but I even feel that I am only scratching the surface,” indicates how much more the workers of the company could be experiencing with AI to do the job.
Observing his appreciation by the existing workforce of Sophify, who is said to contribute 10 times more than he thought was possible, Lutke added that AI can now increase the contributions of 10 times, asking that workers and AI mix for 100 times more contributions.
He also referred to Shopify’s central values: to be a constant apprentice and prosper in change. The use of AI has become a “fundamental expectation”, and IA questions should be added to performance reviews for a better understanding where workers reside with implementation.
However, perhaps the most interesting point in Lutke’s email was that “teams must demonstrate why they can’t get what they want to use AI” before asking for more staff and resources. Lutke encourages employees to consider how AI autonomous agents could integrate into their teams.
In terms of the impacts on the workforce, the CFO Jeff Hoffmeister shared the intention to “keep the relatively flat staff”, but that is after a reduction in the 20% workforce (of 2,300 workers) in 2023 and a bar of 10% (1,000) in 2022, along with other smaller sessions.
