This week, Pinterest announced it's laying off 600 employees (roughly 18% of its workforce). The reason? According to CEO Bill Ready, they're "accelerating AI integration" and need to "reallocate resources toward AI-driven initiatives."

The stock at $23.41 in the latest trading session (a -9.61% move from the prior day).

Wall Street is calling it a buy. We’re calling it 600 people lost their jobs.

This is the moment that made me think of Jurassic Park. Remember when Dr. Ian Malcolm said, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should"?

Pinterest could cut 18% of their workforce and bet big on AI. But should they have?

In this edition:

— James Kenna

Check out a new section! Every week we’ll be spotlighting a “tool.” It’s not limited to AI, but rather what is most relevant for Founders and SMBs to pay attention to.

If you have internet connection and a pulse chances are you’ve been reading up about AI. Whether you’re an enthusiast, hate the idea, or are just plain trying to keep up–it’s inescapable.

SO much so, that I just typed an “em-dash” and had to think, is that gonna make people think I wrote this using AI?

And stories like Pinterest's force every business leader to confront the question:

What do we do about this?

For enterprises, we’re seeing rapid adoption or proof of concepts (both successes and failures). And increasingly, the pattern looks like Pinterest: implement or bet on AI, reduce headcount, please shareholders.

But shouldn’t we also be asking:

Is AI ethical?

At Forge Ahead, this isn't theoretical. Ethical AI usage and advisory is one of our founding principles. So let's break this down.

Who should be using AI? For what use cases? And how can you, as a responsible leader, avoid becoming the next cautionary tale?

Trick question. Those two things don't have to be in opposition.

By enhancing human labor instead of replacing it, we do right by both. We preserve jobs, increase employee satisfaction, and address what actually matters: people, process, and operations.

Pinterest chose replacement. You don't have to.

Enterprises have options—and the luxury of choosing between approaches. Small businesses? That's a different story.

When margins are razor-thin and one sale can mean the difference between staying open another month or closing your doors, the Pinterest story might feel like a warning: adapt or die.

But this is actually where AI has the most ethical placement.

Small business teams are already stretched too thin. They need help. The problem is that the implementation, strategy, and cost of many AI tools are highly prohibitive.

That's why we offer SMB-specific AI solutions—projects designed to improve operations and free up time for what matters most: human capital. Not losing hours to manual entry and inefficient systems.

It depends entirely on how you use it.

Pinterest made their choice. But you have a different option.

The right implementation of technology has always sought to empower over replace. That creates capacity and for leaders actually enhances our decision-making.

Before you implement any AI solution, ask yourself: Am I following Pinterest's path, or am I building something better?

And we’re not ignorant that there’s a bottom line. Yes, that’s the “point” of many businesses. But I’d encourage you to look at consumer sentiment and see if what is good for the bottom line today will keep your customers tomorrow.

We've created a simple framework to help you decide: ["5 Questions to Ask Before Any AI Implementation" checklist]. (It’s free!) A simple tool to ensure your next AI decision aligns with your values, not just your bottom line.

Because in 5 years, when you look back, you should be proud of the leadership choices you made.