Shopify's mandatory AI usage establishes new workplace norm

Yesterday, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke published an internal memo mandating artificial intelligence usage across all departments and roles, marking a significant shift in how technology companies are approaching workforce expectations in the AI era.

In a memo shared publicly on April 7, 2025, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke announced that using artificial intelligence has moved from an encouraged practice to a mandatory requirement for all employees at the e-commerce platform company.

"Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify," Lütke stated in the memo. "It's a tool of all trades today, and will only grow in importance."

The memo, which Lütke published on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after learning it was "in the process of being leaked and presumably shown in bad faith," outlines a comprehensive organizational shift toward embedding AI into every aspect of the company's operations. The CEO made clear that opting out is not viable, writing: "Frankly, I don't think it's feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft; you are welcome to try, but I want to be honest I cannot see this working out today, and definitely not tomorrow."

According to the memo, AI will now be formally integrated into performance evaluations, project methodologies, and resource allocation decisions. The mandate applies universally within the company, including to Lütke himself and the executive team.

Beyond suggestion to requirement

Lütke acknowledged that previously the company had merely suggested AI adoption. "The call to tinker with it was the right one, but it was too much of a suggestion. This is what I want to change here today," he wrote.

The CEO referenced past efforts to promote AI usage, including presentations at company summits and regular discussions in company communications. According to Lütke, the company has "learned that using AI well is a skill that needs to be carefully learned by... using it a lot."

The announcement represents a notable escalation in how companies are approaching AI integration into workplace practices. While many organizations have encouraged AI adoption, Shopify's move to make it a formal job requirement signals a more assertive approach to technological transformation.

Five key policy changes

The memo outlined several specific policy changes designed to institutionalize AI usage across the organization:

1. AI proficiency is now a "fundamental expectation" for all employees, with Lütke stating that "stagnation is almost certain, and stagnation is slow-motion failure" for those who don't develop this skill.
2. AI exploration is required during the prototype phase of all projects under the company's "GSD" (Get Stuff Done) methodology, with Lütke emphasizing that "AI dramatically accelerates" the learning process.
3. Performance evaluations will now include assessment of AI usage, with new questions added to performance and peer review questionnaires.
4. Teams must demonstrate why they cannot accomplish tasks using AI before requesting additional headcount or resources, effectively making AI utilization a prerequisite for department expansion.
5. Self-directed learning is expected, coupled with knowledge sharing across the organization through dedicated communication channels and regular business reviews.

The CEO justified these changes by framing AI as a multiplier of human capability, stating: "We are all lucky to work with some amazing colleagues, the kind who contribute 10X of what was previously thought possible... And what's even more amazing is that, for the first time, we see the tools become 10X themselves."

Shopify's AI infrastructure

The memo referenced several AI tools already available to Shopify employees, including "chat.shopify.io proxy" which the company has maintained "for years." According to a follow-up comment by Lütke on social media, this proxy system "makes all models in the world accessible via openai standard protocol and does the metering and failover for the teams that use them."

For developers specifically, Lütke mentioned tools like "proxy, Copilot, Cursor, Claude code, all pre-tooled and ready to go." The company also maintains dedicated communication channels for sharing effective AI prompts and use cases.

When asked about potential security concerns on social media, Lütke responded that the proxy system "does filtering centrally," suggesting the company has implemented safeguards to control how employees interact with AI systems.

Industry implications

The announcement arrives during a period of intense focus on AI integration across the business landscape. Shopify, which provides e-commerce infrastructure to millions of merchants worldwide, appears to be positioning itself as a leader in workplace AI adoption.

Lütke framed the shift as necessary for the company to meet its mission of supporting entrepreneurs in an AI-powered future, writing: "Our job is to figure out what entrepreneurship looks like in a world where AI is universally available."

The announcement has attracted significant attention from industry observers. On social media, reactions have ranged from enthusiastic support to concerns about the implications for employment. One commenter noted: "This is 100% the correct path to take. It's just a scary one that leads to less and less employment of people over time."

Others focused on potential disparities in adoption, with one observer writing: "I have been finding that it is easier for juniors to bring AI into their daily workflows however, senior employees (> 10 yoe) are too used to their patterns."

Connection to performance expectations

Lütke connected the AI mandate to the company's overall performance culture, referencing a previous internal memo on leadership where he described Shopify as a "red queen race" – a reference to Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" where characters must keep running just to stay in place.

"In a company growing 20-40% year over year, you must improve by at least that every year just to re-qualify. This goes for me as well as everyone else," Lütke wrote, suggesting that AI adoption is now viewed as essential for maintaining the pace of improvement required at the company.

The CEO characterized this approach as aligned with Shopify's core values, writing: "Learning together, surrounded by people who also are on their own journey of personal growth and working on worthwhile, meaningful, and hard problems is precisely the environment Shopify was created to provide."

Broader context for the marketing industry

For marketing professionals, Shopify's announcement signifies a potential shift in expectations across industries. As AI tools become more embedded in workplace requirements, marketers may face increasing pressure to demonstrate proficiency with these technologies as a condition of employment or advancement.

The specific mention of reducing headcount requests unless teams can prove AI insufficient suggests companies may increasingly view AI as a partial substitute for human resources. This could accelerate the transformation of marketing roles, with greater emphasis on AI supervision and strategic direction rather than task execution.

Additionally, Shopify's focus on using AI to accelerate prototyping and learning indicates a potential shift toward more rapid marketing experimentation. Teams equipped with AI may be expected to test concepts and gather insights at significantly faster rates than previously possible with traditional methods.

For marketing departments serving e-commerce clients, the announcement also signals the likelihood of continued investment in AI capabilities within Shopify's platform, which could change the skills required to effectively use these tools on behalf of clients.

Timeline of Shopify's AI integration

• Previous years: Shopify established "chat.shopify.io proxy" service to provide standardized access to various AI models
• Prior to April 2025: Lütke encouraged AI adoption through company summits, videos, podcasts, and town halls
• April 7, 2025: Lütke publishes internal memo making AI usage mandatory after learning it was being leaked
• Future: Shopify will incorporate AI usage assessment into formal performance evaluations and resource allocation decisions