Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke takes part in the company’s annual shareholder meeting held in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. (Photo: Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)
Shopify is taking artificial intelligence more seriously than ever before. In a recent internal memo, CEO Tobi Lütke told employees that using AI is no longer optional—it’s now expected across all roles. Whether someone is a developer, marketer, or in any other department, AI will be a part of how they work, grow, and get evaluated.
The Ottawa-based tech giant is known for powering thousands of online stores, but now it's also pushing its workforce to become AI-savvy. In the lengthy message posted to X (formerly Twitter), Lütke made it clear: embracing AI is a key part of the company’s future, and those who don’t catch up may fall behind.
“If you’re not moving forward, you’re slipping,” Lütke warned. He believes staying still in today’s fast-moving world means risking failure. The memo urged every employee to treat AI as a tool—as helpful as a critic, teacher, researcher, or coder.
At Shopify, new projects usually start with a prototype before full development begins. Lütke now wants AI used from the very beginning of that process. He argues that it speeds things up dramatically and helps teams test ideas much faster than before. That means more time creating and less time waiting.
Beyond project work, AI will also play a role in employee reviews and team assessments. Lütke pointed out that many people give up on AI too quickly if their first try doesn’t produce perfect results. He wants staff to build the skill of using it properly and consistently.
Shopify teams looking to hire more people or access extra resources must now first prove why AI can’t help them reach their goals. This shift affects everyone—from interns to top executives—because the company wants to fully embrace this new way of working.
The move is bold and has caught the attention of Canada’s tech world. Ethics expert Chris MacDonald from Toronto Metropolitan University said Lütke’s approach echoes Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” mindset. While it may work well in a tech-savvy environment, MacDonald cautioned that companies need to make sure AI’s benefits outweigh any potential risks.
One of the concerns raised is transparency. As Shopify leans more on AI, there’s a risk that merchants—and their customers—won’t fully understand how these systems work or influence their shopping experience. MacDonald referred to this as the “black box problem,” where the technology becomes so complex that even users and creators lose track of how it functions.
Shopify hasn’t responded to questions about what happens to employees who don’t adapt or how the company plans to prevent AI from spreading errors or bias. Still, the company has been adding AI tools over time. These include features that help merchants write product descriptions or create email content.
Even executives like Shopify’s president Harley Finkelstein use AI daily. Lütke himself used it to write a talk for a company event and wants everyone else to experiment with it more seriously. His final note in the memo was clear: AI isn’t just an option anymore—it’s part of the job.
