In this edition of the Web News, Matt and Mike discuss Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s controversial decision to fire engineers who refused to adopt AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. After purchasing enterprise licenses, Armstrong gave employees just one week to integrate the tools into their workflows, even holding a Saturday meeting to enforce compliance. Was this “heavy-handed” approach justified, or did it cross the line? We break down the story, explore the ethics of forcing AI adoption, and consider what this means for the future of engineering culture.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong revealed on Stripe co-founder John Collison’s podcast that he fired engineers who failed to onboard AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor after the company purchased enterprise licenses. Despite initial warnings that adoption would be slow, Armstrong issued a mandate requiring all engineers to begin using the tools within a week, even hosting a Saturday meeting to address noncompliance. While some had valid excuses, those without were let go, a move Armstrong admitted was “heavy-handed” but necessary to emphasize that AI adoption is non-negotiable. Since then, Coinbase has leaned into AI training, hosting monthly sessions to share innovative uses, though concerns remain about managing AI-generated codebases
Link: Coinbase CEO explains why he fired engineers who didn’t try AI immediately | TechCrunch
