Don’t let ‘default to AI’ become ‘prove you’re still useful’

Ed Sparkes at LACE Partners explains why organisations must ensure AI-first messaging lands with nuance, clarity and support

 

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke’s now-viral internal memo, encouraging employees to “default to AI” before asking for more headcount, has struck a chord across industries, and for a good reason. Though some may view it as a tone-deaf directive or a heavy-handed mandate, it should be welcomed as a constructive provocation. The message is clear: ask yourself, “What would this task look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?” It’s a deliberate challenge to traditional ways of working and a signal that AI is no longer optional.

 

But behind that prompt lies a more complicated shift that many organisations are still figuring out: are we creating a ‘Prove-AI-Can’t-Do-It’ culture – one where employees feel they must justify their human value before they ask for help?

 

As AI becomes embedded in workflows, the pressure to adapt and automate is growing. That pressure can be productive – or corrosive – depending on how it’s managed. When expectations are ambiguous or support is patchy, people don’t push back loudly. They disengage quietly.

 

 

Rethinking what “Default” really means

Lütke’s memo uses a proven change technique: pause before you act and challenge your default response. He isn’t telling employees to abandon critical thinking. He’s asking them to begin with a different assumption that AI could be a valid, even preferable, starting point.

 

This kind of mindset reset is familiar. Email didn’t replace human collaboration; it simply changed how it was triggered. Cloud tools didn’t remove ownership; they just made access easier. The same could be felt when pen and paper were replaced by Gdocs, making collaboration international. The real shift here is about framing. Asking “Can AI do this?” before leaping into action is less about automation and more about intentionality.

 

But tone matters. If that question starts to feel like a gatekeeping mechanism – a hoop to jump through before receiving support – it becomes a threat rather than a prompt. That’s when trust breaks down. In hybrid and dispersed teams, clarity around expectations is everything. If asking for help is interpreted as a failure to automate, people will hesitate before raising their hands. They’ll mask uncertainty and avoid admitting what they don’t know.

 

This matters most in roles where AI applications aren’t obvious. Creative, strategic and relationship-based functions often rely on nuance, and nuance can be difficult to replicate with tools. If AI-first thinking feels like a quiet test of worth, employees in those roles may begin to question their place.

 

Shopify’s memo closes with “Everyone means everyone,” signalling that this isn’t a message for junior staff but for the entire organisational ecosystem, starting with senior leadership. But the real test will be how consistently this principle is lived out in practice. Leaders will need to show that curiosity is encouraged, and support is still available when AI doesn’t deliver the answer. This will define truly innovative and collaborative organisations.

 

 

HR’s role in supporting the shift

This is where HR and change leaders need to step forward. Their role is to help translate bold ambition into sustainable, human-centred action. Encouraging employees to consider AI first makes sense. But that encouragement needs to be paired with structure: toolkits that demystify what “AI-first” means in practice, clear workflows showing how to access support, and ongoing training that reflects different speeds of adoption across teams.

 

Most importantly, there needs to be space for feedback. Not every employee will be equally comfortable or confident with AI tools. That doesn’t mean they’re resisting change. It means they need different guidance to contribute at their best.

 

Mindset change is necessary – and timely. The question “How could AI help here?” should be part of every team’s thinking. But it needs to be introduced in a way that respects the value people already bring. Organisations should focus on re-framing how human contributions are applied rather than looking for ways to replace them.

 

Employees don’t need AI hype. They need permission to try, room to fail and trust that curiosity will be supported, not punished. With the right framing and clear communication, “default to AI” can become an energising strategy, instead of a silent ultimatum.

 

AI may be part of the team now. But people still need to feel like they belong on it. And this shift should start from leadership.

 

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Ed Sparkes is a Change Management Specialist at LACE Partners

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and David Gyung