The CEO of Shopify advises teams to assess the use of AI before increasing their workforce.
In an internal memo, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke indicated that teams should assess the possibility of using artificial intelligence before requesting additional resources or personnel.
In a recent communication to employees, Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, implemented a significant change in the company's policy. From now on, teams will need to justify why they cannot use artificial intelligence (AI) to fulfill their tasks before requesting additional personnel or resources. In the memo, Lütke emphasized the importance of asking: "What would this area look like if AI autonomous agents were already part of the team?" This reflection could lead to interesting discussions and projects.
Lütke's approach to using AI as a tool to maintain a lean team may generate controversy, especially in a context where there are widespread concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. A recent report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that AI could affect more than 40% of jobs globally.
However, Lütke is not the only business leader looking to leverage AI to improve efficiency. Other executives in the tech sector have expressed similar views. For example, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, has stated that the company's AI chatbot performs the work of 700 customer service agents and mentioned that Klarna's workforce could be reduced to just 2,000 employees thanks to AI, despite currently having approximately 4,000 workers.
As of 2024, Shopify had around 8,100 employees. A year earlier, the company had laid off 20% of its staff, and it was reported in January that they conducted silent layoffs in their customer service division.
