Shopify CEO issues AI hiring diktat

Shopify chief executive Tobi Lütke has circulated a staff memo stating that the company will not be making any new hires unless managers can prove that artificial intelligence isn’t capable of performing the tasks. Teams at the e-commerce company need to integrate AI into their workflows, and doing so will be expected of all employees going forward, according to the memo, which Lütke shared on social media. “What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?” he wrote, adding: “This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects.” The directive comes as tech companies have collectively earmarked hundreds of billions of dollars for investing in AI development this year. Shopify has rolled out AI tools for its merchants, including a chatbot called Sidekick and a suite of automation tools, which it dubs “Shopify Magic”.