Atlassian CEO Says AI Development Should Continue Despite Calls to Slow Down

Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes says the company has no plans to slow its AI development, despite growing calls for a pause after several high-profile incidents. He spoke to media at Atlassian Team Europe 2026.

“Will we slow down? No, we won’t,” Cannon-Brookes said. He argued that competition between nations to advance AI means development will continue, and said AI can improve efficiency and productivity. He also described the pace of global geopolitical competition as outside his control.

Cannon-Brookes said Atlassian is one of the world’s five biggest software vendors and serves many Fortune 500 companies. He said its tools are becoming part of more critical business workflows, while acknowledging that trust remains a challenge, particularly around AI.

He pointed to agents built into Atlassian’s tools as a way to show customers what the company is doing and help build trust. “Customers are not subscribing for the software we’ve built, but for the software we will build,” he said. The article describes Atlassian’s broader message as one of collaboration and a new “multiplayer” capability for AI agents.