#586
Who’s Prompting Whom?
Published:
Apr 12, 2025
Author:
Sarah Parsons Wolter
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Americans are split on AI’s promise. A new Pew study shows that while 56% of AI experts believe the technology will benefit the U.S. over the next two decades, only 17% of the public share that optimism. That gap widens when it comes to the workplace: 73% of experts think AI will improve how people do their jobs, compared to just 23% of the public.
Still, corporate adoption is accelerating. Shopify now requires managers to prove AI can’t do a job before approving new hires. Employees are expected to weave AI into their daily workflows – and performance reviews will reflect how well they do it. CEO Tobi Lütke is betting that autonomous agents will soon be embedded teammates, not just productivity hacks.
And yet, the AI revolution is quietly being driven from the bottom up. While skepticism remains high, hundreds of millions are already using ChatGPT and other language models to vibe code, write, summarize, and explore – with no institutional permission required.
As companies scramble to catch up with their own customers’ fluency, one question remains: in this rare moment when Mary and Joe have the same tools as multinational CEOs, who’s really shaping the future of work?
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Who’s Prompting Whom?
How the U.S. public and AI experts view artificial intelligence - A new Pew Research Center report examines the views of two key groups: the American public and experts in the field of AI. These surveys reveal both deep divides and common ground - AI experts are far more positive than the public about AI’s potential, including on jobs. Yet both groups want more personal control of AI and worry about lax government oversight. Read more
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Shopify says no new hires unless AI can’t do the job - Teams at the e-commerce company need to integrate AI into their workflows, and doing so will be expected of all employees going forward, according to a new memo from Chief Executive Tobi Lütke. Lütke also said employees would be questioned on their AI usage in their performance reviews. Read more
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