AI Companies Promise Less Work, But Employees Report 90-Hour Weeks

Executives at major artificial intelligence companies are championing AI as a future tool for reduced work hours, with some predicting a four-day work week by 2025. OpenAI, for instance, formally encouraged companies to test a four-day week earlier this year, suggesting AI would accelerate human work to such an extent that businesses would need to adapt.

However, this optimistic outlook is sharply contrasted by the experiences of current and former employees. An ex-technical employee at OpenAI described a demanding work environment characterized by frequent "crisis meetings," weekend work, and "super-cutthroat" performance reviews that could lead to sudden dismissals. "One goes on Saturday or Sunday just to catch up or make sure nothing is wrong," the individual told the BBC.

Companies like Anthropic boast that their AI tools can operate autonomously for extended periods, while Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims AI is drastically changing how people work, enabling fewer employees to achieve more. Yet, employees within these same technology firms report working significantly longer hours than the typical 40-hour, five-day week. This intensive work culture, including 14-hour days, has become increasingly common in the tech sector, challenging the narrative that AI will lead to less work.

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One goes on Saturday or Sunday just to catch up or make sure nothing is wrong.