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The OpenAI logo and the Australian national flag. / Reuters, Yonhap

An Australian company has rolled out an unconventional incentive scheme to encourage its employees to embrace artificial intelligence (AI). The bold offer promises a lump-sum payment of two years' salary and paid leave without having to do any work to any employee who demonstrates how to completely replace their duties with AI.

According to Australian information technology media outlet Information Age on the 15th, Melbourne-based creative agency Kill Boring Dead announced that it introduced such a compensation program for all employees.

Marcus Willis, co-founder and chief executive officer of the agency, explained that the primary purpose of the proposal is removing the fear of layoffs, which stands as the biggest obstacle to technology adoption.

Willis said, "The biggest reason employees hesitate to adopt AI is the fear that their jobs might disappear. Nobody voluntarily walks into the boss's office and says, 'I found a great way to eliminate my position.'"

He added, "Even if they have great ideas, most employees stick to old ways of working hoping no one notices. In effect, countless innovative ideas remain trapped in desk drawers, paralyzed by rational fear."

Internal response to the program has been enthusiastic. Not a single employee has resigned since its rollout, and automation ideas are pouring in across all divisions, including planning, general affairs, logistics, and studio operations.

While no employee has yet met the criteria for receiving two years' pay by replacing 100% of their workload, several staff members have automated more than half of their duties, inching closer to the benchmark.

Some voiced suspicion that the scheme might be a cleverly disguised voluntary redundancy program. However, Willis drew a clear line against such speculation.

He emphasized, "The person who figures out a shortcut to automate half their workload is precisely the best person to consider what we should do next. This is a strategy to redeploy employees freed from simple, repetitive tasks into larger, higher-value creative work."

He also stressed, "If your first move upon adopting AI is reducing headcount, that company lacks imagination. Companies that retain talent, equip them with top-tier AI tools, and empower them to focus on new challenges will ultimately lead the market."

                                                                                                             Lee Dae-won