Opendoor CEO mandates AI for all employees

Real estate technology company Opendoor has established mandatory artificial intelligence usage across all employee roles, with performance evaluations now measuring how frequently staff members default to AI tools rather than traditional software applications. The company announced the policy 11 days after new CEO Carrie Wheeler began her tenure.

According to internal communications from Wheeler dated September 2025, the directive represents what she describes as "our new standard normal from now on." The memo states that "the first line in everyone's job expectation is simply this: Default to AI." Wheeler emphasized this applies universally across the organization, including to herself.

The policy establishes specific criteria for what constitutes defaulting to AI. "If you reach for Google Doc or Sheets before you reach for an AI tool, you are not defaulting to AI," Wheeler wrote. "If the prototype for a project is not built in Cursor or Claude Code, you are not defaulting to AI." Employees must use chat.opendoor.com and build their own agents while saving prompts to meet the requirement. Wheeler noted that chat.opendoor.com addresses data security concerns, making it "the company's problem to worry about data security, etc and not yours."

Starting with the next performance review cycle, Opendoor will incorporate AI usage assessment into formal evaluations. "In addition to asking how much impact each employee delivered we will also ask ourselves how frequently does each person default to AI," according to the memo.

The approach represents a fundamental shift in corporate expectations around technology adoption. Wheeler framed AI proficiency as a skill requiring continuous development. "AI use is a skill, like anything else," she wrote. "The more you use it, the better you can get at it. I expect every one of us to become experts at this." The company plans to provide resources and training, though Wheeler emphasized individual responsibility for skill mastery.

Wheeler positioned the mandate within the company's broader mission. "Our job at Opendoor is to build the best platform possible to make selling, buying, and owning a home as delightful as possible," she stated. "That's the mission and it matters because home ownership matters." She characterized weekly progress against this mission as essential. "Every week we don't make immense progress against this mission is a bad week for the world," Wheeler wrote.

The CEO acknowledged the pace of organizational change during her brief tenure. "I know the last few days have not been calm or easy," she wrote, "but this speed and this amount of change is our new standard normal from now on." She referenced the company's recent return to office as mostly complete, stating "that's mostly the last time we are going to talk about this."

The directive follows similar moves across the technology sector, where companies have begun formalizing AI expectations. Shopify implemented mandatory AI usage in April 2025 under CEO Tobias Lütke, incorporating AI proficiency into formal job requirements and performance evaluations. However, Shopify's aggressive AI implementation has faced criticism, particularly regarding customer support systems that created loops preventing human contact despite technical problems requiring specialized intervention.

These organizational mandates reflect broader industry patterns documented across marketing and technology sectors. According to IAB Europe research from September 2025, 85% of digital advertising companies already deploy AI-based tools. The study revealed content generation leads AI marketing use at 80%, followed by reporting and targeting applications.

However, rapid AI adoption has produced uneven results across different implementation contexts. Data from multiple surveys indicate organizations face scaling challenges due to surging demand for compute-intensive workloads, particularly from generative AI applications. Infrastructure constraints and supply chain delays are slowing technology deployments across marketing organizations.

The marketing community has observed mixed outcomes from mandatory AI adoption policies. While some companies report significant productivity gains, others have documented quality problems and operational challenges. Analysis from Ahrefs revealed that major AI platforms including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have not adopted proposed standards for AI content processing, creating uncertainty for organizations building AI-first workflows.

Wheeler's memo specified tools employees should prioritize. The company operates chat.opendoor.com, which provides standardized access to AI models while managing data security centrally. Employees are expected to use coding assistants Cursor and Claude Code for prototype development rather than traditional development environments.

The company's approach differs from organizations that have encouraged AI adoption without making it mandatory. Wheeler's directive establishes AI usage as a baseline expectation rather than an optional productivity enhancement. "We have a lot of work ahead of us," she concluded. "We will not get there without everyone defaulting to AI."

For the real estate technology sector specifically, AI integration carries particular implications. Opendoor's business model relies on automated valuation systems and operational efficiency to enable instant home offers and simplified transactions. The company's mandate suggests AI capabilities will become increasingly central to maintaining competitive positioning in residential real estate markets.

Industry observers note the policy's timing during a period when AI implementation challenges have become more visible across sectors. Google's John Mueller warned in August 2025 that using large language models to create topic clusters builds "liability" and provides "reasons not to visit any part of your site." Research documenting ChatGPT usage patternsrevealed that 70% of platform engagement centers on personal guidance and domestic applications rather than workplace productivity.

The effectiveness of mandatory AI policies remains debated within technology and marketing communities. Recent analysis of advertising trends through 2030 shows 71% of experts view AI-produced creative content as likely by 2030, representing the largest positive shift from 2020 baseline measurements across any measured scenario. However, the same research documented concerns about implementation barriers including standardization challenges and varying consumer acceptance levels.

Opendoor's approach also raises questions about workforce adaptation timelines. Wheeler's memo establishes AI proficiency as a current requirement rather than a future goal. The company will measure employee compliance through performance reviews, creating direct consequences for staff members who continue using traditional tools.

The real estate company's policy reflects broader corporate calculations about competitive positioning in AI-enabled markets. Wheeler framed the mandate as necessary for achieving the company's mission rather than as an experimental technology initiative. "So we need to move faster — always," she wrote. "And we can't do that without being AI obsessed."

The announcement generated substantial discussion across professional networks, with reactions ranging from enthusiastic support to concerns about implementation pace and employee autonomy. Some industry observers characterized the approach as setting necessary standards for technology companies, while others questioned whether mandatory requirements would produce better outcomes than organic adoption driven by demonstrated productivity benefits.

Wheeler's memo concluded with a brief signoff: "LFG. Cheers, KN." The informal closing contrasted with the directive's formal mandates, suggesting an attempt to maintain organizational culture while implementing significant operational changes.

Timeline

• April 7, 2025: Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke publishes internal memo making AI usage mandatory after learning it was being leaked
• June 2025: Companies across technology sector begin incorporating AI proficiency into formal performance evaluations
• September 2025: Carrie Wheeler becomes CEO of Opendoor, announces return to office policy
• September 2025 (Day 11 of Wheeler's tenure): Wheeler publishes internal memo establishing "Default to AI" as first line in everyone's job expectation
• September 2025: Shopify merchants report escalating AI support issues amid service restructuring
• September 18, 2025: IAB Europe releases first comprehensive report on AI impact revealing 85% adoption rate across digital advertising
• Next performance review cycle: Opendoor will begin asking how frequently each person defaults to AI

Summary

Who: Carrie Wheeler, CEO of Opendoor, a real estate technology company that provides instant home offers and simplified transactions for residential properties.

What: Implementation of mandatory artificial intelligence usage across all employee roles at Opendoor, with performance evaluations measuring how frequently staff members default to AI tools rather than traditional software applications like Google Docs, Sheets, or standard development environments.

When: The directive was announced on September 2025, during Wheeler's 11th day as CEO, with AI usage assessment beginning in the next performance review cycle.

Where: The policy applies across all Opendoor departments and locations, with employees required to use chat.opendoor.com for AI access and tools including Cursor and Claude Code for project prototypes.

Why: Wheeler positioned the mandate as necessary for accelerating progress toward Opendoor's mission of making home transactions delightful, stating that weeks without immense progress represent bad outcomes for families pursuing home ownership. The CEO characterized AI proficiency as a fundamental skill requiring continuous development and framed the directive as establishing "our new standard normal" for organizational operations.