Investing.com -- Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP ), has issued a memo to his staff encouraging the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools as a means to enhance productivity and merchant success. In the memo, Lutke emphasized the company’s mission to provide an optimal platform for the development of future businesses, and highlighted the role of AI in achieving this goal.

Lutke noted that AI usage is now a baseline expectation at Shopify, with AI tools acting as a multiplier to augment the skills of the team, enabling them to tackle tasks previously seen as implausible. He encouraged his staff to use AI as a thought partner, deep researcher, critic, tutor, or pair programmer, stating that using AI well is a skill that needs to be learned by using it frequently.

Lutke also stressed that AI must be part of the prototype phase of any given project, as it accelerates the learning and information creation process. He further announced that AI usage questions will be added to performance and peer review questionnaires to facilitate feedback and improvement.

The CEO also made it clear that before asking for additional resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot achieve their goals using AI. He added that this expectation applies to everyone in the company, including himself and the executive team.

In the memo, Lutke described Shopify as a company that must continue to grow and improve year over year, in line with its core values of being a constant learner and thriving on change. He emphasized that learning to use AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation for all Shopify employees.

Lutke concluded by stating that AI will completely transform Shopify, the work they do, and their lives. He encouraged the team to explore what entrepreneurship looks like in a world where AI is universally available, and asked for everyone’s help in making Shopify the best possible platform for their merchants.

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