From Shopify to Fiverr, CEOs are spelling it out: adapt to AI or get left
behind. Resistance is futile, but upskilling might just save your job.
The office apocalypse won’t be announced with trumpet blasts or robotic
overlords bursting through the walls. It’ll look more like a politely worded
memo from your CEO telling you that, starting today, your new colleague is a
generative AI model—and it doesn’t ask for vacation time.
CEOs across industries are making it abundantly clear: artificial
intelligence isn’t just a cool tool to help with spreadsheets—it’s a
replacement plan. A succession strategy. A workforce shake-up. And if you’re
not adapting to it, you’re already falling behind.
Tobias Lütke, CEO of Shopify (LinkedIn).
Just ask Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who recently laid it out with all the
subtlety of a sledgehammer: Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke recently sent a memo to
employees saying that before they asked for additional team members, or more
resources, they have to show that they “cannot get what they want done using AI,”
according to reporting
by CNBC.
Translation: AI doesn’t sleep, doesn’t need healthcare, and won’t
complain about Slack messages at 11 p.m. and you’d better watch out.
Your CEO Wants You to Upskill Yesterday
While some executives are publicly upbeat about AI being a “co-pilot”
or a “productivity partner,” behind closed doors, the messaging has taken a sharper
edge. A recent piece from Inc. shows a growing trend: CEOs warning employees in
no uncertain terms to embrace AI or become irrelevant. In the most brutally
efficient corporate-speak, it’s either upskill or be outpaced.
Micha Kaufman, Founder and CEO of Fiverr (LinkedIn).
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman put it even more bluntly: “Here’s an
unpleasant truth: AI is on its way to taking your job. It’s even on its way to
taking my job. This is a wake-up call,” he said according
to reports by Geektime.
It’s a message that’s consistent across industries. Generative AI is no
longer an experiment—it’s a strategic imperative. And companies are starting to
value adaptability over loyalty, speed over seniority, and machine fluency over
management fluff.
The Age of Human-AI Collaboration (or Competition)
For now, the happy corporate fiction is that AI will “assist” rather
than “replace.” But that depends entirely on your definition of assistance. If
your job is to draft emails, analyze spreadsheets, or brainstorm ad
copy—congratulations, you’re on the shortlist for automation .
Remember its “just a tool”, it’s here to “Help you”, “adapt or die”. pic.twitter.com/pmVr8GpI2e
— 🏮Zakuga Art🏮 (@ZakugaMignon) April 7, 2025
What’s more, some CEOs seem to now be actively reshaping
job roles to favor AI-savvy workers. Reskilling is no longer a perk; it’s a
survival tactic. The days of coasting on a decent résumé are over. Today’s
winners will be those who can work with AI, or better yet, make AI work for
them.
Take Shopify again. Lütke’s message wasn’t just about the shift to
AI—it was about moving fast. In his vision, AI is integrated deeply into
company processes. Being skilled in the use of AI is “now a fundamental
expectation of everyone at Shopify,” according to Lütke and AI-related questions
will be part of “our performance and peer review questionnaire,” he said. It’s
about optimization at all costs—and humans are no longer the default answer to
every business problem.
Automation Anxiety is the New Normal
Of course, not everyone’s thrilled. We’re certain that plenty of whispered
Slack messages and side-eye in Zoom calls might just be suggesting that many
employees are dealing with a creeping sense of dread. Can you blame them? When
the C-suite starts waxing poetic about AI efficiency, it’s hard not to imagine
your role as the next line of code to be added our the latest GPT or bot.
This is incredible..
This AI agents can go through your CV, find matching jobs online, and start applying for them on its own.
— el.cine (@EHuanglu) January 5, 2025
This seems like a vicious circle.
But here’s the kicker: CEOs aren’t just passively watching this
transformation—they’re accelerating it. Whether by investing in AI startups,
embedding AI across departments, or making public declarations like Lütke and
Kaufman, the message is clear. This isn’t a phase. This is the new operating
system for business.
Adapt or Die Trying – How to Upskill in AI
As a writer who largely publishes online, I’ve got a lot to lose to AI,
or rather, I’ve got a reason to be a little wary. I work as a journalist and
writer, I also do copywriting for a few PR firms. I’m the sort of person that AI
might well make obsolete.
But while it’s true that AI is replacing certain roles, it’s also
creating new ones for those willing to evolve. The secret? Learning to work with
AI, not against it.
Start with the basics: platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer
affordable (even free) AI courses tailored to different fields. You don’t need
a PhD in machine learning—just knowing how to use tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney,
Notion AI, or Claude can make you a more valuable asset.
Hi, my name’s Louis, I definitely wasn’t created by an AI.
In creative industries, copywriters and designers can use generative AI
for brainstorming, drafting, or rapid prototyping. Instead of fearing AI art
generators, illustrators are using tools like DALL·E to speed up concept
development and mood boards. Writers are using ChatGPT for outlines, first
drafts, or SEO optimization. Personally, I will never publish anything online
that has my name on it if it’s been written by AI. But, SEO optimization on the
other hand? It’s the perfect way to make sure that you’re hitting all your
keywords, optimizing your titles and subtitles and more.
In finance, AI can automate reporting, analyze trends, and flag
anomalies. But it still needs humans to interpret, guide, and verify. Tools
like Tableau, Alteryx, and Power BI are great entry points for financial
analysts looking to layer AI into their workflows.
Even in data entry—a job under serious threat from
automation—upskilling into data annotation, AI model training, or basic Python
scripting can pivot your career into more secure (and higher-paid) territory.
The bottom line? AI is a tool—like Excel once was. And just like in the
’90s, those who learned it early had an edge. You don’t need to become an
engineer overnight. You just need to stop ignoring the revolution and start
picking up the tools that will keep you relevant in the next economy.
A Ray of Hope?
I’ll leave you with one example, and a reason to be a little more
optimistic than you were a few paragraphs before. AI “lies”. It makes mistakes.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the CEO of a massive fashion
house. I did the interview over Zoom and downloaded the audio recording. I then
used an AI platform to transcribe the audio and ChatGPT to format and structure
a rough draft. Upon reading the transcript, I noticed that the CEO said something I knew for a
fact he didn’t. I listened to the recording. The AI had completely mis-transcribed
four or five lines and entirely misconstrued what the guy said. I threw it out and transcribed it piece by piece, carefully
checking each paragraph, it took me hours, but it was necessary. AI makes
mistakes.
It also produces “robotic” copy, copy that lacks heart and soul. To this day, it requires human input,
a human needs to check it, and a human’s talent needs to direct and shape the
results.
AI isn’t yet at the point of replacing us (at least in the creative
fields), and we’ve all got the opportunity to learn and to adapt, to leverage it
rather than fear it. Though, granted, it is pretty worrying.
If you’re looking for more slightly irreverent takes on finance and tech-adjacent
news, check our Trending
section. Now, off you go, and learn all about AI.
From Shopify to Fiverr, CEOs are spelling it out: adapt to AI or get left
behind. Resistance is futile, but upskilling might just save your job.
The office apocalypse won’t be announced with trumpet blasts or robotic
overlords bursting through the walls. It’ll look more like a politely worded
memo from your CEO telling you that, starting today, your new colleague is a
generative AI model—and it doesn’t ask for vacation time.
CEOs across industries are making it abundantly clear: artificial
intelligence isn’t just a cool tool to help with spreadsheets—it’s a
replacement plan. A succession strategy. A workforce shake-up. And if you’re
not adapting to it, you’re already falling behind.
Tobias Lütke, CEO of Shopify (LinkedIn).
Just ask Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who recently laid it out with all the
subtlety of a sledgehammer: Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke recently sent a memo to
employees saying that before they asked for additional team members, or more
resources, they have to show that they “cannot get what they want done using AI,”
according to reporting
by CNBC.
Translation: AI doesn’t sleep, doesn’t need healthcare, and won’t
complain about Slack messages at 11 p.m. and you’d better watch out.
Your CEO Wants You to Upskill Yesterday
While some executives are publicly upbeat about AI being a “co-pilot”
or a “productivity partner,” behind closed doors, the messaging has taken a sharper
edge. A recent piece from Inc. shows a growing trend: CEOs warning employees in
no uncertain terms to embrace AI or become irrelevant. In the most brutally
efficient corporate-speak, it’s either upskill or be outpaced.
Micha Kaufman, Founder and CEO of Fiverr (LinkedIn).
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman put it even more bluntly: “Here’s an
unpleasant truth: AI is on its way to taking your job. It’s even on its way to
taking my job. This is a wake-up call,” he said according
to reports by Geektime.
It’s a message that’s consistent across industries. Generative AI is no
longer an experiment—it’s a strategic imperative. And companies are starting to
value adaptability over loyalty, speed over seniority, and machine fluency over
management fluff.
The Age of Human-AI Collaboration (or Competition)
For now, the happy corporate fiction is that AI will “assist” rather
than “replace.” But that depends entirely on your definition of assistance. If
your job is to draft emails, analyze spreadsheets, or brainstorm ad
copy—congratulations, you’re on the shortlist for automation .
Remember its “just a tool”, it’s here to “Help you”, “adapt or die”. pic.twitter.com/pmVr8GpI2e
— 🏮Zakuga Art🏮 (@ZakugaMignon) April 7, 2025
What’s more, some CEOs seem to now be actively reshaping
job roles to favor AI-savvy workers. Reskilling is no longer a perk; it’s a
survival tactic. The days of coasting on a decent résumé are over. Today’s
winners will be those who can work with AI, or better yet, make AI work for
them.
Take Shopify again. Lütke’s message wasn’t just about the shift to
AI—it was about moving fast. In his vision, AI is integrated deeply into
company processes. Being skilled in the use of AI is “now a fundamental
expectation of everyone at Shopify,” according to Lütke and AI-related questions
will be part of “our performance and peer review questionnaire,” he said. It’s
about optimization at all costs—and humans are no longer the default answer to
every business problem.
Automation Anxiety is the New Normal
Of course, not everyone’s thrilled. We’re certain that plenty of whispered
Slack messages and side-eye in Zoom calls might just be suggesting that many
employees are dealing with a creeping sense of dread. Can you blame them? When
the C-suite starts waxing poetic about AI efficiency, it’s hard not to imagine
your role as the next line of code to be added our the latest GPT or bot.
This is incredible..
This AI agents can go through your CV, find matching jobs online, and start applying for them on its own.
— el.cine (@EHuanglu) January 5, 2025
This seems like a vicious circle.
But here’s the kicker: CEOs aren’t just passively watching this
transformation—they’re accelerating it. Whether by investing in AI startups,
embedding AI across departments, or making public declarations like Lütke and
Kaufman, the message is clear. This isn’t a phase. This is the new operating
system for business.
Adapt or Die Trying – How to Upskill in AI
As a writer who largely publishes online, I’ve got a lot to lose to AI,
or rather, I’ve got a reason to be a little wary. I work as a journalist and
writer, I also do copywriting for a few PR firms. I’m the sort of person that AI
might well make obsolete.
But while it’s true that AI is replacing certain roles, it’s also
creating new ones for those willing to evolve. The secret? Learning to work with
AI, not against it.
Start with the basics: platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer
affordable (even free) AI courses tailored to different fields. You don’t need
a PhD in machine learning—just knowing how to use tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney,
Notion AI, or Claude can make you a more valuable asset.
Hi, my name’s Louis, I definitely wasn’t created by an AI.
In creative industries, copywriters and designers can use generative AI
for brainstorming, drafting, or rapid prototyping. Instead of fearing AI art
generators, illustrators are using tools like DALL·E to speed up concept
development and mood boards. Writers are using ChatGPT for outlines, first
drafts, or SEO optimization. Personally, I will never publish anything online
that has my name on it if it’s been written by AI. But, SEO optimization on the
other hand? It’s the perfect way to make sure that you’re hitting all your
keywords, optimizing your titles and subtitles and more.
In finance, AI can automate reporting, analyze trends, and flag
anomalies. But it still needs humans to interpret, guide, and verify. Tools
like Tableau, Alteryx, and Power BI are great entry points for financial
analysts looking to layer AI into their workflows.
Even in data entry—a job under serious threat from
automation—upskilling into data annotation, AI model training, or basic Python
scripting can pivot your career into more secure (and higher-paid) territory.
The bottom line? AI is a tool—like Excel once was. And just like in the
’90s, those who learned it early had an edge. You don’t need to become an
engineer overnight. You just need to stop ignoring the revolution and start
picking up the tools that will keep you relevant in the next economy.
A Ray of Hope?
I’ll leave you with one example, and a reason to be a little more
optimistic than you were a few paragraphs before. AI “lies”. It makes mistakes.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the CEO of a massive fashion
house. I did the interview over Zoom and downloaded the audio recording. I then
used an AI platform to transcribe the audio and ChatGPT to format and structure
a rough draft. Upon reading the transcript, I noticed that the CEO said something I knew for a
fact he didn’t. I listened to the recording. The AI had completely mis-transcribed
four or five lines and entirely misconstrued what the guy said. I threw it out and transcribed it piece by piece, carefully
checking each paragraph, it took me hours, but it was necessary. AI makes
mistakes.
It also produces “robotic” copy, copy that lacks heart and soul. To this day, it requires human input,
a human needs to check it, and a human’s talent needs to direct and shape the
results.
AI isn’t yet at the point of replacing us (at least in the creative
fields), and we’ve all got the opportunity to learn and to adapt, to leverage it
rather than fear it. Though, granted, it is pretty worrying.
If you’re looking for more slightly irreverent takes on finance and tech-adjacent
news, check our Trending
section. Now, off you go, and learn all about AI.
