AI-First Hiring Policies
Dylan Eleven • Truth11.com
The AI vs human workforce battle is progressing at the speed of technology, our collective plan B is not.
The technocracy movement has just leaped forward and dealt an eventual fatal blow. The war is won. AI First Hiring has been introduced and will become the standard. This policy will reshape the future and eventually facilitate the replacement of the human workforce.
Mass lay offs may occur if they want chaos - which is part of their plan; however the war may also be won with small incremental lay-offs and with time; retirees being replaced by AI.
With policies like these favouring human replacement by AI, and with robotics allowing AI to reach beyond the computer screen, eventually the majority of work will be done by AI not humans.
The battle has just begun but the long term outlook is not good. If we let them implement policies like AI first hiring, done in the name of efficiency, it will enable the long term replacement of human workers.
Is this a bad thing or a good thing?
In many ways replacing work that can be automated is obviously beneficial to freeing up human time.
But what will it be replaced with?
If the masses are all simply laid off by AI and abandoned to poverty, although we have more time, the destruction will be huge. This course of action seems in line with the global depopulation and enslavement agenda, and is probably their preference.
They may alternatively provide utopian societies in the sky where everyone is a painter or a sculptor, not wanting for anything all paid by the state, run by AI. But it does not seem likely. The track record of recent tyrants as with tyrants from the past, suggests they will use the AI human replacement to destroy us further and keep the good life for themselves.
As our present workforce will be encouraged to facilitate this eventual demise of human labor, we need solutions.
Corporations have always put profits for shareholders over the well being of others. We can expect them to favor the AI replacement en mass. To shareholders a companies profits will always justify inhuman actions. The evil that dwells within the corporation/shareholder structure will flourish with AI replacement.
Therefore we as individuals need to navigate and respond to these policies as an attack on our earning power and ultimately our freedom.
We can either refuse and take a stand which is hard to justify to your employer when efficiency is their stated goal. But is a worthy cause.
Or we can steer the AI replacement, building with safeguards to remove the potential mass poverty hazard. Namely; if you are working on the problem, you need to also work on the solution.
But regardless of our response, we the masses need to become self sufficient and build organic systems at the same pace as technology is advancing to replace us. If we are to be free from labor as a majority, we should use the time to be free from the system completely. Turning the AI replacement into liberty from slavery, instead of a path to mass poverty, furthering the depopulation agenda.
The following article is an example of this policy now being put into place, in the name of efficiency:
Shopify CEO Mandates AI-First Hiring Policy, Reshaping Workforce Expectations
NaturalNews.com | Willow Tohi
- Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lütke mandates that employees must justify why a role can’t be automated before hiring, signaling AI adoption as essential for productivity and efficiency. AI proficiency will now factor into performance reviews.
- Companies like Shopify, Google and Meta are cutting jobs while heavily investing in AI tools (e.g., Shopify Magic, GitHub Copilot) to handle tasks from customer service to coding, redefining traditional roles.
- While AI displaces some jobs, it also creates opportunities for higher-value work. Critics warn of disproportionate impacts on junior or repetitive roles, citing challenges in rapid upskilling.
- Shopify’s workforce shrank from 8,300 in 2023 to 8,100 by late 2024, reflecting a broader trend of tech layoffs (152,000+ in 2024) as companies prioritize AI-driven efficiency over traditional hiring.
- Industries like legal, marketing and finance are adopting AI for tasks like contract review and data analysis. Experts predict a future where human-AI collaboration dominates, requiring new policies for reskilling and worker protections.
Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke is making one thing clear to employees: artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool—it’s a fundamental requirement. In a memo sent to staff last month, the e-commerce executive announced that teams must now justify why a job can’t be automated before requesting additional hires, signaling a seismic shift in corporate hiring strategies amid the AI revolution.
The directive underscores a broader trend in the tech industry, where businesses are aggressively investing in AI while simultaneously trimming headcounts. For Lütke, the mandate is about optimizing efficiency. “What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?” he wrote in the memo, later shared publicly on X. “This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects.”
Automation’s evolving role in work
The tension between human labor and automation isn’t new. From the Industrial Revolution to the rise of computing, technological advances have continually displaced certain jobs while creating others. However, AI’s rapid evolution—particularly generative tools like ChatGPT and coding assistants—has accelerated this disruption in white-collar sectors once considered immune.
Shopify’s policy mirrors moves by other tech giants. In 2023–2024, companies like Google and Meta slashed thousands of roles while funneling billions into AI development. Meanwhile, tools like Shopify Magic (the company’s AI suite for merchants) and GitHub’s Copilot have demonstrated AI’s capacity to handle tasks from customer service to software engineering.
“This isn’t about replacing humans but redefining productivity,” says Dr. Linda Li, a labor economist at Stanford University. “Employers now see AI as a baseline, not an experiment.”
A “fundamental expectation” of AI fluency
Lütke framed AI adoption as nonnegotiable, stating that “using AI well is a skill that needs to be carefully learned by… using it a lot.” The company will now factor AI proficiency into performance reviews, embedding it into its culture.
Employees who embrace AI have delivered “100X the work” on projects previously deemed unfeasible, Lütke noted. One example: Shopify’s Sidekick chatbot, which assists merchants with store management, reducing the need for human support staff.
But the policy raises questions about workforce equity. Critics argue that sidelining roles AI can perform might disproportionately impact junior employees or those in repetitive positions. “Not everyone has the resources to upskill overnight,” cautioned Sarah Roberts, a tech labor advocate.
The numbers behind the strategy
Shopify’s headcount has declined steadily since 2022, when it cut 14% of its workforce. By December 2024, its employee base shrank to 8,100 from 8,300 a year earlier. CFO Jeff Hoffmeister recently told investors the company aims to keep headcount “relatively flat,” though compensation costs could rise as it hires specialized AI talent.
Globally, tech layoffs exceeded 152,000 in 2024, per Layoffs.fyi, even as AI investment soared. Analysts say Shopify’s approach reflects a pragmatic pivot: automate routine tasks, then redirect human creativity to higher-value work.
Broader implications for the labor market
Shopify’s policy could foreshadow wider adoption of AI-centric hiring standards. Industries like legal services, marketing and finance are already deploying AI for contract review, ad targeting and data analysis.
“The H-1B visa debate is almost quaint now,” remarked tech analyst Mark Wilson, referencing disputes over immigrant labor. “The real competition isn’t between humans across borders—it’s between humans and algorithms.”
Yet some see opportunity. “AI won’t replace you, but a person using AI might,” Lütke’s memo suggested, urging employees to leverage tools to “multiply” their output.
Looking ahead: A new social contract?
As AI reshapes work, policymakers and companies face pressure to address reskilling and safety nets. The EU’s AI Act and proposed U.S. federal guidelines aim to balance innovation with worker protections, but legislation lags behind technological leaps.
For Shopify, the path is clear: AI isn’t optional. “Our collective skill and ambition, multiplied by AI, is what will serve our merchants,” Lütke wrote.
Shopify’s AI mandate marks a tipping point in corporate strategy—one that prioritizes human-AI collaboration but leaves little room for roles that fail to evolve. As businesses worldwide grapple with AI’s potential, the question isn’t just which jobs will disappear, but how societies will adapt to a workforce where proving your irreplaceability starts with outthinking a machine.
Sources:
Original Article: https://www.naturalnews.com/2025-04-09-shopify-ceo-mandates-ai-first-hiring-policy.html
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