AI Isn’t Cheating Anymore, It’s the Job Now
By: Travis Fleisher
Not long ago, using AI at work felt a little sneaky. Like you were cutting corners. If you used ChatGPT to help draft a report or brainstorm content ideas, you might’ve hesitated to say so out loud. It felt like something you had to keep quiet, like taking a shortcut when you were supposed to take the long road.
But that mindset is disappearing fast.
Think about how weird it used to feel to get into a stranger’s car through an app. Or to meet someone online and actually go on a date. Ten years ago, Uber and dating apps felt sketchy, even a little embarrassing to admit. Today, they’re just normal. In fact, if you’re not using them, you might seem a little behind.
That’s exactly what’s happening with AI right now.
A leaked internal memo from Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lütke, makes it crystal clear: using AI is no longer optional. It’s expected. If you’re on the Shopify team, you’re not just encouraged to use AI. You’re being evaluated on how well you do it. It’s a shift that feels sudden, but really, it’s been building for a while.
This is exactly the kind of transition I wrote about in my post on the San Antonio Spurs and their internal AI experiments. In that case, leadership was nudging employees to adopt AI tools by tying it to ROI in their day-to-day tasks. At Shopify, they’re taking it a step further. It’s no longer a suggestion. It’s part of the job description.
Here’s what the memo said, and what it means for the rest of us.
1. AI is no longer a shortcut. It’s the standard.
The first line that jumps out from the memo is this: “Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.” That’s a bold statement. And it’s not just aimed at engineers or data scientists. It’s for everyone. Designers. Marketers. Customer support reps. Product managers. Everyone is expected to integrate AI into their workflow, not as a nice-to-have, but as a basic requirement.
This represents a huge shift in mindset. For a long time, AI was seen as something extra. Maybe even lazy. But now? Not using AI looks more like stagnation than integrity. It’s like refusing to use Google or email. If you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind.
2. AI is part of how work gets started.
Shopify’s internal mantra around projects is “GSD,” which stands for “Get Sh*t Done.” In the memo, Lütke states that AI must be part of the GSD Prototype phase. In other words, when you’re starting something new—whether it’s a product, a presentation, or a campaign—AI should be in the mix from the beginning.
This isn’t about building an AI product. It’s about using AI to kickstart the creative process. Write a first draft. Map out a rough outline. Ask ChatGPT to challenge your assumptions. It’s about momentum. The faster you get from zero to something, the more time you have to improve it. And AI is the perfect tool for that.
3. You’ll actually be asked how you’re using AI.
This was the biggest “whoa” moment for me in the memo: Shopify is adding AI usage questions to performance reviews and peer feedback forms. That means employees aren’t just expected to use AI. They’re expected to be able to talk about how they’re using it and how well.
Think about what that signals. It’s not enough to say, “Yeah, I tried ChatGPT once.” You need to show you’re building a skill set. Prompting well. Iterating. Integrating the outputs into your workflow. And if you’re stuck, the best thing you can do is talk to your team about it. The memo emphasizes that learning how to use AI is a shared journey, and feedback from peers will be part of that.
4. Learning is self-directed, but not solo.
This part of the memo was surprisingly warm. Lütke writes that while learning AI is self-directed, it’s important to share what you learn. Shopify employees are encouraged to post their AI “wins and losses” in internal forums, so the entire team gets better together. There’s a clear message here: experimenting is good. Failing is fine. What matters is that you’re trying, and that you’re not keeping it to yourself.
For beginners, this is one of the most valuable takeaways. You don’t need to master AI overnight. You just need to be curious, and a little generous with your learning. Keep a simple log of prompts you tried and what worked. Share screenshots with coworkers. Ask someone what tools they’ve been using. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about getting better in public.
5. Before you hire, ask: can AI help first?
This last point might feel controversial, but it’s worth unpacking. Shopify now encourages teams to ask whether AI could handle a task before they ask for more headcount or resources. That doesn’t mean people are being replaced. It means we’re entering a new era of resourcefulness. Before you outsource a project or hire a contractor, see if AI can get you 80% of the way there.
It’s a subtle but powerful shift in how teams think about scale. It’s not about doing more with less. It’s about doing more with different. AI becomes your first draft generator, your research assistant, your rough idea machine. You still bring the human touch. But you let AI take the first swing.
So what does this mean for you?
If you’re reading this and feeling behind, don’t. You’re not late to the game. The game is just beginning. The big shift is this: AI is no longer cheating. It’s just working smart. And the more comfortable you get with it now, the more confident you’ll feel as this expectation spreads beyond Shopify and the Spurs and becomes the norm across industries.
You don’t need to become an expert today. Just pick a tool. Try it on a real task. See how it goes. And if it doesn’t work the first time, ask someone what they’ve been doing. We’re all learning together. The only wrong move is doing nothing.
Travis
Read the full memo here:
