Latest news with #TobiLutke
Fast Company
7 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Is blind faith in AI a trap? These 5 steps use doubt as your best defense
In an April internal memo, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke mandated 'using AI effectively' as a core expectation of employees. While AI boosts efficiency, leaders must use analytical skepticism to ensure that AI is safely and strategically integrated into their operations. Many organizations have faced expected challenges after implementation because AI, like any technology, can mislead. It may produce convincing but false predictions, such as 'data hallucinations' (fabricated facts or patterns) or biased outputs from flawed datasets. These risks can skew decision-making. To navigate this, leaders need analytical skepticism—a mindset of questioning AI results. They should ask critical questions: What's the source of this data? How reliable is the output? Where do human judgment and expertise still have value? This approach ensures AI aligns with business goals. Here are five actionable steps for leaders to use this trait to safely integrate AI into their business processes 1. START WITH THE PROBLEM, NOT THE TOOL Before diving into AI implementation, leaders must first ask: What problem are we solving? AI isn't a cure-all—it is a tool that demands a purpose. Without a crystal-clear grasp of the business challenge, organizations risk deploying AI that is misaligned, redundant, or worse, a shiny distraction. Only by pinning down the issue—be it inefficiencies, missed opportunities, or blind spots—can leaders judge if AI fits and how it slots into existing workflows. One of my clients implemented an AI platform to automate and optimize its ads to maximize its conversion rates for new customers. Using first-click attribution as a guide, we increased return on ad spend by 50% and reduced ad spend by 12%. This showed us that focusing on solving real problems drives meaningful business results. 2. SCRUTINIZE THE DATA Analytical skepticism demands more than good intentions. It requires robust data governance frameworks with systematic audits of sources, ongoing accuracy checks, and relevance assessments tailored to each AI use case. Organizations must thoroughly examine their data's origin, quality, and relevance before deploying AI solutions. The trustworthiness of AI outputs depends entirely on the integrity of its training data—a crucial fact often overlooked in the rush to innovate. As AI shapes high-stakes decisions—optimizing supply chains, forecasting market trends, or allocating resources—shoddy data quality can cascade into costly missteps. Consider Amazon's failed AI recruiting tool, which amplified discrimination after being trained on biased historical hiring data instead of improving fairness. Without rigorous vetting, even the most advanced systems can produce flawed insights, reinforcing problems rather than solving them. Skepticism means dissecting the data's story—its collection, context, and gaps—and demanding that it align with the task. Leaders must dig deeper than surface numbers. Is the data fresh enough? Does it reflect reality or distort it with hidden biases? For example, a retailer using pandemic-era sales data might overestimate demand, tying up capital in excess inventory. Only then can AI deliver decisions that hold up under real-world pressure. This isn't mere bookkeeping—it is a bulwark against 'garbage-in, garbage-out' disasters that undermine trust and tank ROI. AI can automate tasks and generate insights, but it is no substitute for human judgment. Oversight ensures outputs stay grounded and aligned with business goals, ensuring that AI amplifies expertise rather than overshadowing it. While AI quickly generates ad copy ideas, I recommend that my clients' copywriters and brand managers review all suggestions to catch off-brand creative. This human oversight ensures campaigns remain creative, consistent, and true to brand voice. Blending AI's speed with human insight keeps operations nimble and reliable, especially where complexity or stakes demand nuance over automation. This balance ensures AI delivers consistent performance while respecting the nuances of human judgment, particularly in areas that are too complex or sensitive for full automation. 4. FOSTER CONTINUOUS LEARNING AI implementation is not a one-time effort—it demands constant tuning. Leaders must build feedback loops to evaluate tools, question outputs, and refresh them with new data, ensuring AI stays sharp and reliable. By regularly questioning AI data, outputs, and tools, leaders ensure that their technology stack remains an effective and accurate resource. Zendesk nails this in customer service. Their Answer Bot's performance is tracked via agent reviews and customer ratings, driving upgrades that keep it on point. This relentless refinement, rooted in real-world input, ensures AI meets shifting demands without drifting into irrelevance. Skepticism fuels this cycle, turning scrutiny into progress. 5. ESTABLISH ETHICAL GUIDELINES AI technology is not neutral. If not managed carefully, it can entrench biases or spark ethical pitfalls. Leaders must set clear guidelines to ensure AI aligns with company values, focusing on fairness, transparency, and accountability. For example, our client's AI chatbot answered order inquiries instantly but didn't disclose it was AI, risking customer trust. The team made it say, 'I'm your AI assistant!' with an option to reach a human. This increased escalations by 5% but boosted satisfaction by 10%. Leaders should stay skeptical, checking AI outputs for bias or harm before scaling up. NAVIGATING AI WITH A HEALTHY DOSE OF SKEPTICISM AI is not a magic bullet—it is a tool that requires thoughtful, critical engagement to yield its full potential. Leaders who approach AI with analytical skepticism can successfully integrate this transformative technology into their business processes while mitigating risks like data errors and biased algorithms. By continuously questioning assumptions, verifying AI outputs, and ensuring that human judgment is incorporated into decision-making, leaders can navigate the AI landscape safely and strategically. The organizations that will thrive in the AI era are those that combine the power of technology with the wisdom of critical thinking.
National Post
02-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Shopify scores win over Canada Revenue Agency in merchant-data case
Shopify Inc. has come out on top of a battle with the Canada Revenue Agency. Article content A federal court order issued Thursday shows Judge Guy Regimbald sided with the Canadian tech company, which was fighting the CRA's attempt to get more than six years of Shopify records. Article content The records were being sought in order to verify that Canadian merchants using Shopify software were obeying the Income Tax Act and the Excise Tax Act. Article content The CRA wanted the names of individuals who own Shopify accounts, their birthdates, addresses, phone numbers and their bank transit, institution and account numbers. Article content It also asked for their Shopify ID numbers, what type of store they ran, when their Shopify accounts were activated or closed and how many transactions and their value were made over the six-year period the CRA was interested in. Article content Some of the information had been requested by the Australian Tax Office, which wanted to ensure Shopify merchants were complying with the country's laws. A separate case Judge Regimbald presided over saw the CRA ask for court permission to obtain and send the records to Australia. Article content CRA spokesperson Sylvie Branch said the agency is aware of the court's decision and 'is currently analyzing the case details and associated information.' Article content Shopify pointed The Canadian Press to a post on X from its CEO, Tobi Lutke, who shared the outcome of his company's court battle and called the CRA's behaviour 'blatant overreach.' Article content Article content CRA demanded 6 years of Canadian merchant data from us. This felt like blatant overreach We took them to court and last Friday Justice Régimbald agreed with us. The court dismissed the request and called it '… unintelligible, incoherent, or otherwise beyond its understanding' — tobi lutke (@tobi) June 1, 2025 Article content Shopify fought the CRA in both cases when they were filed in 2023, insisting the group of merchants the agency wanted information for was 'overly broad and inconsistently defined.' Article content Article content The company also claimed a multilateral tax treaty being used to seek the information for Australia 'is without domestic force' when information about unnamed people is being requested. Article content Regimbald ultimately decided not to order Shopify to turn over the records to the CRA because he found the tax agency had not outlined an identifiable group of individuals whose data it wanted. Article content He said the court would not entertain a request to hand over information on unnamed parties 'that is unintelligible, incoherent, or otherwise beyond its understanding.' Article content
Fast Company
30-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Shopify's user experience will soon ‘feel like sci-fi'
'Imagine an interface where you can quickly shift between talking, typing, clicking, and even drawing to instruct software, like moving around a whiteboard in a dynamic conversation,' Carl Rivera tells me. An experience in which users are not presented with a barrage of nested menus, but with a blank canvas that invites creativity aided by an artificial intelligence that knows everything there is to know about online and brick-and-mortar retail and marketing. A fluid interface that adapts and anticipates your needs, automating tasks and recommending actions like the most brilliant partner you could dream of. That's a dream in itself, but it isn't a fantasy; it's Rivera's future vision for Shopify. Rivera is the company's new Chief Design Officer and he believes that, in the very near future, the e-commerce platform's user experience is going to feel like sci-fi. Rivera joined Shopify through the 2018 acquisition of his startup TicTail. Right after that, he was key to launching Shop, the company's consumer-facing business. His new position directly responds to industry skepticism about design's relevance in an AI-driven landscape. In this time in which everyone is shifting to AI but almost nobody has a clear idea why, it makes sense that Shopify's founder Tobi Lutke thought he needed someone like Rivera helming that leading position. 'We're entering a new technological paradigm with AI,' Rivera says, emphasizing that now, more than ever, it is strategic for Shopify to have a clear design vision about how to implement artificial intelligence in a truly empowering way for every company, from small retail shops to corporate giants. The company wants to reimagine its user experience, transforming it into a powerful tool for designers and business people that is easier to use and saves more time than ever before. 'Half of the people are talking about design being dead because the programs can design for you,' he says. 'We take quite the opposite point of view at Shopify.' The final deadline for Fast Company's Brands That Matter Awards is this Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
News18
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Shopify CEO On Tesla's Dancing Robot: 'We've Reached A New Tech Era'
Last Updated: Tesla recently shared a dancing video of its Optimus humanoid robot, leaving the internet divided on its skills and abilities. Elon Musk has been creating a stir on social media with a clip of his Tesla Optimus humanoid robot and its neat dance moves. While the internet has been discussing the robot's future potential and the company's progress on the technology, it has also caught the attention of Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke. Resharing the video on his official X handle, Lutke wrote, 'We are here on this timeline's tech tree." The video, which left many wondering whether it was original or AI-created, featured the humanoid robot dancing to a musical tune and showing some neat moves. We are *here* on this timeline's tech tree — tobi lutke (@tobi) May 14, 2025 Social media users also couldn't help but share similar sentiments in the comment section. One wrote, 'Optimus already dances better than most humans, wow," while another added, 'Mind blown, I can't believe this is real. Tobi, last-mile delivery with Optimus and Robotaxi (e.g., Robovan) for Shopify customers. Talk to Elon about making use of such a service if Tesla offers it in the future!" 'This is incredible," a comment read. It is worth mentioning that Tesla announced its humanoid Optimus robot in 2021 during its annual AI Day. During the event, a human dressed as a humanoid robot came out and danced for the crowd. Fast-forward to now, a real robot finally has something to show off. A preview of Optimus was witnessed during AI Day in 2022, when the company shared a glimpse of a semi-functional prototype, which was capable of walking on stage and doing arm movements. Last year, a number of Tesla robots took part in the company's 'We, Robot" event, where they served drinks, interacted with the guests, and even danced in sync with their arms and torsos. Over the years, Tesla has made major progress on the project, with the latest dance video hinting at the next phase of the humanoids. Was just getting warmed up — Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) May 14, 2025 As per Tesla's Q1 2025 statement, the company plans to produce more than 1,000 units of Optimus robots for internal use in 2025 and external sales by 2026, as per The Mirror. First Published: May 15, 2025, 13:30 IST
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Elon Musk's robot impresses Shopify CEO by dancing ‘better than most humans'
Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot has created quite a stir on social media by busting out cool dance moves to the beat of a peppy song. The smoothness of the robot's movements left people wondering if it's real or AI. However, it's an original video that impressed many, and the latest one to join the list is Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke. 'We are *here* on this timeline's tech tree,' he wrote while resharing a video of the robot initially posted on the X handle dedicated to Optimus. The video was posted in reaction to another footage of the dancing robot shared by Elon Musk. The post's caption reads, 'Was just getting warmed up. " The footage captures the robot showcasing various dance moves, which some social media users say are 'better than most humans.' The video prompted a flurry of remarks on social media. One individual posted, 'Optimus already dances better than most humans. Wow.' Another added, 'As a control engineer, this brings tears to my eyes.' A third commented, 'Great time to be alive'. A fourth wrote, 'Wild… insane progress with huge potential.' Indian-origin techie Srihari Sampathkumar, who works with Tesla AI, also reacted to the company's post and shared an interesting caption. 'Dancing is a hard problem not just for humans, even for robots. It stresses timing, torque and latency budgets. @Tesla_Optimus nails it like a pro dancer with all of the AI inference running on-board in real-time!' he wrote. Optimus is developed by Tesla. During the initial launch of this product, CEO Elon Musk stated, 'It will basically do anything you want. It can be a teacher. It can babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, and serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do and it's going to be awesome,'
