In an era where many employers still treat artificial intelligence (AI) as a secondary skill, Fiverr is taking a radically different stance: no AI, no job.
The CEO of the freelance services giant, Micha Kaufman, told Business Insider that he wouldn’t hire anyone who hasn’t already adopted AI in their work.
“Even candidates who say they’re open to trying AI, but haven’t actually used it, would be a red flag,” he said. For Kaufman, it’s not about willingness; it’s about action.
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“You can’t wait to be taught something,” he explained. “If you don’t ensure that you sharpen your knives, you’re going to be left behind. It’s that simple.”
Kaufman’s bold declaration wasn’t just made in a media interview—it was delivered directly to Fiverr’s 775 employees in a company-wide memo last month. That message, which he later posted publicly on X, wasn’t sugar-coated. It opened with a clear warning: “AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it’s coming for my job too. This is a wake-up call.”
He stressed that no role is immune. “It does not matter if you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person—AI is coming for you,” the memo read.
In his interview with Business Insider, Kaufman explained that the memo was not about instilling fear, but about urging realism.
“If you don’t make that move, you’re going to be out of work,” he said. “Not only in our company but also across the industry. There’s not going to be a demand for people who are working like it was five years ago.”
Freelancers Ahead of the Curve
Fiverr’s core user base—freelancers—are often better positioned to embrace rapid change, Kaufman observed. With less bureaucracy and more incentive to stay ahead, freelancers frequently spend “days and days” experimenting with emerging tools, while many salaried workers remain boxed into traditional routines.
He pointed to Fiverr’s internal data for evidence of this shift. The company’s May Business Trends Index, which tracks millions of user searches globally, revealed a staggering 18,347% spike in demand for AI agent services over the last six months. Searches for AI video creators jumped by 1,739%. New roles such as “vibe coders,” “agent trainers,” and “ComfyUI consultants” have quickly emerged among the platform’s top earners.
Don’t Fear AI—Outpace It
Kaufman is not alone in sounding the alarm about the accelerating role of AI in the workplace. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said earlier this year that AI could do “all our jobs, my own included.” Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke went further, requiring teams to prove that AI cannot do a task before hiring additional staff. At Duolingo, contract workers have already been replaced by AI. Salesforce, meanwhile, is using AI-powered internal coaches to help employees reskill rather than lay them off.
But where many executives frame these changes as tough but necessary adjustments, Kaufman is pushing for a more fundamental shift in mindset. He insists that AI literacy must now be considered a core competency.
“The people who are never going to be displaced or replaced are the people who are going to find ways to replace 100% of what they do now with technology,” he said. Far from threatening their jobs, this kind of thinking earns his respect. “Because that just frees up their time to focus on things that technology cannot provide right now.”
He emphasized that it’s not about ticking boxes or listing tools on résumés. “It’s curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to experiment” that separates future-proof talent from those at risk of being replaced.
Human Judgment Still Matters—But Not Without AI
Although he is unapologetically pro-AI, Kaufman doesn’t believe the machines are ready to fully replace human nuance yet. He said the goal isn’t just to automate tasks, but to amplify what humans can do.
“These new tools, these new models, agents, are able to provide us with a lot of work that was just taking time,” he said. But the “special human touch” remains essential. “I want my people to focus on these more complex, nuanced human tasks rather than continuing to work like it’s 2024. If you’re still doing that, you’re doing something wrong.”
Kaufman’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to broader corporate hiring patterns, where many companies still regard AI as a “nice-to-have” skill. His no-compromise approach marks a cultural shift that could soon draw a line between AI-native organizations and those still playing catch-up.
His insistence on hiring only those who already use AI also challenges traditional views about onboarding and training. While many HR departments still assume workers can be brought up to speed after they’re hired, Kaufman sees that as too slow and a sign of complacency.
“If you’re not already experimenting, you’re behind,” he said.
AI Won’t Replace You. But Someone Who Uses It Will.
Perhaps the most provocative line from Kaufman’s interview is this: “There’s less of a risk of technology displacing people. But I think there’s more risk of people who are very versed in technology displacing people who are not.”
In a world increasingly dominated by large language models, autonomous agents, and generative tools, the threat isn’t just automation—it’s adaptation. Those who embrace AI aren’t waiting to be saved; they’re building the future themselves.