Gusto Introduces AI Teammate 'Cofounder' for Small Businesses

In a press release, Gusto announced the launch of Gusto Cofounder, an AI teammate built for small business owners. Cofounder is designed to handle operational work such as running payroll, flagging compliance risks, and managing timesheets and staffing issues.

Unlike general purpose AI tools, Cofounder starts with context from Gusto and connected tools authorized by the business. It accesses information such as team details, payroll schedules, benefits, and compliance calendars, allowing it to take immediate action on behalf of the user.

Cofounder can be directed through natural conversation in SMS, Slack, or the web with prompts like running payroll, generating reports, or flagging scheduling conflicts. It also includes more than 20 prebuilt automations for onboarding, payroll, expense approvals, and compliance tasks, based on patterns from over 500,000 small businesses using Gusto.

The system integrates with Google Workspace, Notion, Slack, and other tools commonly used by small businesses. Guardrails ensure that key decisions remain under human control while Cofounder handles routine operations. Early access is available through gusto.com/cofounder.