“It’s part of our culture…” GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke makes AI use mandatory for all employees

GitHub

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has made one thing crystal clear: using AI tools at GitHub isn’t optional—it’s a must.

Speaking on the Decoder podcast, Dohmke explained that every GitHub employee, no matter their role, is expected to use AI tools like GitHub Copilot as part of their daily work. “It’s part of our company culture that everybody at GitHub uses GitHub,” he said. “There is no world where I would allow for somebody to say, ‘Well, sorry, I don’t want to use GitHub.’”

This approach mirrors Microsoft’s larger strategy. A recent memo from Microsoft executive Julia Liuson stated that AI usage will be considered in performance reviews, right alongside collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. In other words, AI is now seen as a core skill for all employees—not just engineers.

Dohmke defended the move, noting that the push isn’t about counting how many lines of code are written with Copilot. Instead, it’s about mindset. He believes AI should be embraced across all departments, from engineering to HR, sales, and legal, as part of a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.

He also emphasized that this expectation is non-negotiable. “If the employee doesn’t want that, then there’s tens of thousands of other tech companies out there where they can have that,” Dohmke said.

In short, GitHub is betting big on AI, and its CEO wants every employee on board. The message is simple: at GitHub, working without AI is no longer an option.