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| Eric Yuan Zoom CEO |
Tech leaders are increasingly united around a bold vision for the future of work: artificial intelligence will soon make the three or four-day workweek a reality. Zoom CEO Eric Yuan recently joined figures like Bill Gates, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon in predicting that AI’s automation gains will free employees from the traditional five-day grind .
Yuan told The New York Times that AI chatbots and agents will handle enough tasks to allow companies to shorten the workweek. He said if AI improves lives, there may be no need for five-day schedules. Every company could support three or four-day weeks, giving people more free time .
This shift would mark a major change in how work is structured. It could especially benefit countries like the U.S., where long work hours are common. Trials in Europe already show shorter weeks can cut burnout and raise productivity .
But the transition may not be smooth. Yuan admits AI will replace some jobs, especially entry-level roles like coding or note-taking. New jobs may appear in managing AI systems, but the overall number of workers needed could fall .
Bill Gates agrees AI will bring huge changes. He said on The Tonight Show that in 10 years, AI might handle most tasks, making daily work unnecessary. People could work just two or three days a week. Gates believes AI will offer “free intelligence,” replacing rare skills like great teaching or medical advice .
Nvidia’s Huang also supports shorter weeks but warns work may become more intense. AI could allow four-day weeks, but employees might be busier. He stresses that AI will create jobs too, driving economic growth .
Even Jamie Dimon, whose industry is known for long hours, thinks AI will lead to 3.5-day workweeks. He says AI will improve life balance, though it will replace some roles .
Research supports the idea that AI frees up hours. Thomson Reuters found professionals expect to save up to 12 hours weekly within five years thanks to AI. The Adecco Group reported employees already save an hour daily using AI tools .
One U.S. company, Exos, tested a four-day week and found burnout halved while productivity rose 24% .
Despite the optimism, leaders acknowledge AI will displace workers. Yuan says some jobs, like entry-level engineers, will vanish as AI writes code. But new roles will emerge, like managing AI code or digital agents .
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warns up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs could disappear in five years. Amazon’s Andy Jassy and IBM’s leaders also expect AI to cut roles in customer service, software, and HR .
Gates adds that AI is improving faster than expected. It already handles complex research well. He urges young workers to learn AI now to stay relevant .
Tech.co’s 2025 report found 38% of senior leaders are open to four-day weeks, up from 23% last year. AI could provide the push needed for wider adoption .
But trust in AI must grow. Leaders need proof AI can handle tasks reliably. The pace of change remains uncertain—Gates says experts disagree on whether AI will replace most human work in one year or ten .
Huang remains bullish on AI’s potential to create wealth and jobs. He says AI will “create more millionaires” in five years than the internet did in twenty. It makes technology accessible to everyone, not just programmers .
Dimon recently warned the U.S. economy is “weakening.” He hopes AI might one day help make sense of conflicting data . This hints at AI’s broader role in solving complex problems.
Gates acknowledges AI’s risks, like errors and false information. But he is largely optimistic. He believes AI will lead to breakthroughs in disease, climate change, and education .
Tech executives agree AI will transform work within a decade. Shorter weeks seem likely, but job losses are inevitable. Workers may need to adapt to new roles managing AI systems. Society must ensure the benefits are shared widely .
As Yuan says, technological shifts always eliminate some jobs but create others. The key is to use AI to improve lives—and perhaps work less .