Will AI lead to shorter workweeks? Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and others say yes

[midian182]

What just happened? There are plenty of justifiable concerns over what impact AI will have on the workplace of the near future. Bill Gates is one big tech name who believes the technology will have benefits, though, including a two- or three-day work week in the next decade. That's probably welcome news for those whose jobs haven't been replaced by AI, and provided their employers don't pay them part-time wages.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show recently, Gates predicted a future in which humans will no longer be necessary "for most things" because of advanced AI. It's a view shared by Elon Musk, who in 2023 told then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that artificial intelligence will eventually replace all human jobs as it would be able to "do everything."

For those who haven't been replaced, Gates asked, "What will jobs be like? Should we just work like 2 or 3 days a week?"

It's not the first time that Gates has predicted AI leading to shorter work weeks. He said in 2023 that a three-day work week was possible thanks to a potential future where "machines can make all the food and the stuff, and we don't have to work as hard."

Gates highlighted some of the benefits of having more free time, including better help for older people and smaller class sizes.

Others painting a rosier picture of an AI future include JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who said the next generation of workers will have 3.5-day workweeks and live to 100 because of the technology.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, walking the University of Virginia's Grounds with Dean Nicole Thorne, center, and UVA President Jim Ryan.

Some companies are already moving to four-day workweeks, though it's usually related to increasing productivity rather than AI.

In Japan, a nation famous for working excessively long weeks, The Tokyo Metropolitan government is experimenting with a four-day workweek. It's hoped that the change will help the country's declining population problem by ensuring women do not have to sacrifice their careers due to life events such as childbirth or child-rearing.

Gates also told Fallon that over the next decade, AI will ensure "great medical advice [and] great tutoring" become free and commonplace, which doesn't sound very promising for health professionals and teachers.

"There will be some things that we reserve ourselves for, but in terms of making things and moving things and growing food – over time, those will be basically solved problems," Gates said.

Many in the AI industry, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, have warned about the massive impact AI will have on the global workforce. Altman has long pushed for a universal basic income as a solution, while Suleyman said the tools are "fundamentally labor replacing."

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Will AI lead to shorter workweeks? Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and others say yes

 

[The Talking Tech]

Short weeks doesn't mean people would still get paid for the full time job they currently have.

As the statement implies your job will be less equalling to less pay.

Reading between the lines is very important.

 

[winjer]

They probably mean most people will be out of a job, so weekends will last forever.

 

[letsgoiowa]

If it gets employers 1% more profit by making people work 7 days a week instead of 3, they would do it.

 

[Dimitriid]

I mean, sure: work weeks get remarkably short once nobody can get a *!@#* job to begin with so there's that.

 

[Dr Roboto]

These tech "leaders" and tech bros are exhausting. Their entire goal is to pump the value of their companies no matter the lies they have to tell their stock holders. The only other option is that they are completely delusional because they have not worked a real job in 20-30 years. They are just out of touch living in their ivory towers.

AI is a tool. It will make things like software development more efficient. I use it daily. My days are just as hard and long. AI helps with the low level coding and doing other boilerplate things that definitely makes thing go faster. It is great for cleaning up my crap grammar. However, people will continue to work the same long hours, they will just be expected to do more. Isn't Elon the same guy that thinks everyone needs to work 80-100 hour weeks?

Now pardon me, I have some clouds to yell at.

 

[wiyosaya]

Once again, the general population is listening to people that rely on an 8-ball called "I have billions. Therefore, I am always right."

 

[Shaitan]

These billionaires deserve a b....t in the h..d for destroying any resemblance of common sense and dignity.
How can you sleep at night knowing your workers need to pee in a bottle at Amazon?
How can you sleep knowing you pay minimum wages and sell awful cars that are glued together, like Elon?
How can you sleep at night knowing you could save millions of lives with your billions, but you just want more, and more, and more, without giving anything back?
How can you be at rest with your conscience knowing you destroyed tens of thousands of jobs while at the end of the year, you take a bonus that could have easily saved those jobs?
How can you be so selfish as to fire your country's employees and hire hundreds of people from India or China just to increase the profit margin while not giving a rat's *** about your own people starving?
I bet these psychopaths see themselves as the Saviour Jesus Christ.
And that they would have Messiah in prison for speaking about being selfless and giving to the poor.

 

[BogdanR]

Very short weeks. Actually no workdays whatsoever.
The capitalist state goes bonkers when unemployment is more than 6-8%. Let’s see what happens when it reaches at least 20% or more, with no social net whatsoever.

 

[redgarl]

Absolutely not. You will work more with more deliverables for the same or less salary because this is what the companies and the oligarch want.

 

[AlexIL]

Same old song of promised less work at every stopover of technological advancements, starting with Industrial. Led to more up to enormous work and very bloody revolution as a consequence of greed with two world wars before dust settled.

 

[noel24]

If no people get paid, who pays billionaires?

 

[ThomasTECH]

Shorter work weeks, it very unlikely. It will lead to a production boom where people are racing to get the competitive edge. Most likely working much harder much longer and jobs will disappear quickly. People should understand a plateau has recently been lifted and this is opening flood gates of possibilities in IT.

 

[monkeylove]

Short weeks doesn't mean people would still get paid for the full time job they currently have.

As the statement implies your job will be less equalling to less pay.

Reading between the lines is very important.

I think Gates means the opposite:

It's not the first time that Gates has predicted AI leading to shorter work weeks. He said in 2023 that a three-day work week was possible thanks to a potential future where "machines can make all the food and the stuff, and we don't have to work as hard."

Gates highlighted some of the benefits of having more free time, including better help for older people and smaller class sizes.

 

[monkeylove]

Here's the gist: They argue that better tech means less work and thus better quality of life.

Also, remember that businesses and the billionaires that own them can only earn if they sell more goods and services, and the ones who buy those aren't machines but people. And those people can buy if they earn from work. In short, if people don't get work or more pay, then businesses and billionaires don't earn more.

Finally, some will argue that billionaires and businesses can earn from financial speculation, but the value of credit traded can only be retained if there's more economic activity, and the latter can only take place if there are more goods and services sold, and that can only happen if there are more people with jobs and using their income to buy and sell things plus borrow and invest.

 

[The Talking Tech]

I think Gates means the opposite:

Gates is only expressing a "wishful thinking" as he knows better than you think corporate companies would allow employees to get a full 40 hours paycheck but only working 30 or less, especially in a world dominated by A.I that can do that job for free.

 

[godrilla]

If no people get paid, who pays billionaires?

They are going for the easy short term gains. In an ai dystopia their is always your assets like private property, retirement funds sign by the dotted line to survive and give up your last underwear etc etc. This is crony capitalism. The part where the politicians have a conflict of interest via inside trading/retirement accounts to maximize those short-term gains to actually do anything about it.
It's a catch 22, do we neuter our western ai capabilities in free market where the east's ai progess has a fair access to our markets ( where eastern ai doesn't have such neutering affects) If we neuter our ai capabilities are we just prolonging the inevitable via foreign ai models?

 

[Zsoltblabla]

Most people will end up living of social security handouts = extreme poverty.
The moment workers and not needed , they will become obsolete.
It will be a continuation of what we have right now - few people with extreme wealth and power and the rest living in poverty.
This will only benefit the rich.

 

[toooooot]

Will it also increase taxes for ordinary people who will still be lucky to keep their jobs?
Yes.
What about our billionaires?
No.

 

[monkeylove]

Gates is only expressing a "wishful thinking" as he knows better than you think corporate companies would allow employees to get a full 40 hours paycheck but only working 30 or less, especially in a world dominated by A.I that can do that job for free.

Who's going to buy what AI can do "for free" except the same employees?