Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has declared artificial intelligence a foundational requirement for employees at the e-commerce company, stating in a leaked internal memo that “reflexive AI usage is now a baseline expectation at Shopify.”
Lütke shared the memo publicly on April 7 via X, formerly Twitter, after learning it was circulating without authorization. “I heard this internal memo of mine is being leaked right now, so here it is,” he said.
In the note, dated March 20, he described the rapid transformation AI is bringing to work and entrepreneurship, and made clear that employees across all levels — including executives — are expected to adopt and integrate AI into their daily roles.
‘Everyone means everyone’
“AI will totally change Shopify, our work, and the rest of our lives,” Lütke wrote, adding, “We’re all in on this.” He said employees are “surrounded by a whole company learning and pushing things forward together,” and that those who fail to embrace AI risk stagnation—what he described as “slow-motion failure.”
One of the key takeaways: no team or individual is exempt. “Everyone means everyone,” he wrote. “This applies to all of us—including me and the executive team.”
AI to be integrated into reviews, hiring decisions
The memo outlines several concrete steps Shopify is taking to embed AI into its organizational processes:
- AI proficiency will be included in employee performance and peer review questionnaires.
- All prototype projects must include AI exploration as a core component.
- Teams must justify additional headcount requests by first demonstrating that AI solutions can’t address their needs.
Shopify will also assess how teams are using AI in internal business reviews and will dedicate time to experimenting with new tools and capabilities. Lütke said the company has provided access to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and internal platforms like chat.shopify.io and proxy, with Slack channels set up for employees to share successes and challenges.
A shift in how work is done
Lütke acknowledged that for some staff, the memo may feel redundant—especially those already using AI for research, programming, or content generation. “Maybe you are already there and find this memo puzzling,” he wrote. But for others, he emphasized, this marks a definitive shift in expectations.
“Stagnation is almost certain, and stagnation is slow-motion failure,” he warned. “If you’re not climbing, you’re sliding.”
He described AI as “the most rapid shift to how work is done that I’ve seen in my career,” adding that even with regular use, he feels he’s only “scratching the surface.”
Implications for the broader tech industry
The memo comes as more companies grapple with how to integrate generative AI into workflows. While some firms are cautiously experimenting with use cases, Shopify’s directive is unusually clear: AI isn’t optional.
The internal note positions Shopify as one of the first major tech firms to formally tie AI adoption to performance metrics and hiring strategy. As Lütke put it: “What we need to succeed is our collective sum total skill and ambition at applying our craft, multiplied by AI, for the benefit of our merchants.”
