Demonstrate that humans are still useful. In short, this is what Tobi Lütke, CEO of the Canadian E-commerce platform Shopify, asks for its employees asks. In an internal note relayed by CNBC And published on X last Monday, he announces a new policy where artificial intelligence (IA) becomes the norm, and humans, the exception. “Employees will have to prove that they cannot accomplish their mission by using artificial intelligence before requesting more staff,” writes Tobi Lütke, adding that this requirement also concerns additional resources.
He even encourages his teams to project himself into a future where autonomous AI agents are already integrated into the workforce. “This question can give rise to exciting discussions and projects,” he said. According to him, AI has already demonstrated its internal effectiveness: “I saw people performing in the past unthinkable with remarkable ease and intelligence thanks to AI. They have multiplied their productivity by a hundred, ”said the manager.
Massive investments and dismissals
During an event organized by Morgan Stanley in March, the financial director Jeff Hoffmeister said that Shopify intends to “maintain its relatively stable workforce”. However, he recognized that the use of more qualified profiles in AI, better paid, could change wage costs, even without massive hires.
This reorientation comes as the whole technological sector accelerates its investments in artificial intelligence, while reducing its human costs. In 2024, nearly 152,000 positions were deleted in 549 tech companies, according to data from Layoffs. fyi. Shopify, which develops automation tools for online merchants, in particular on its AI assistant “Sidekick” and the “Shopify Magic” suite to strengthen its competitiveness.
