Sanders: AI Productivity Should Mean a 4-Day Work Week

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is advocating for a significant shift in how the benefits of AI-driven productivity are distributed. He argues that the gains from AI should translate into a shorter work week for employees, rather than just increased profits for corporations.

In a recent interview on the Joe Rogan podcast, Sanders emphasized that technological advancements should improve workers’ lives, not just the bottom lines of tech companies. His vision involves reducing the standard work week to 32 hours as AI tools enhance individual productivity.

“Technology is gonna work to improve us, not just the people who own the technology and the CEOs of large corporations,” Sanders stated. “You are a worker, your productivity is increasing because we give you AI, right? Instead of throwing you out on the street, I’m gonna reduce your work week to 32 hours.”

Sanders points out that this isn’t a radical idea, citing examples of companies successfully implementing four-day work weeks. He referenced a UK pilot program where 61 companies, encompassing approximately 2,900 workers, experimented with a four-day schedule in 2022. Financial data from 23 of these companies showed a revenue increase of 1.4% on average during the trial.

Companies like Kickstarter, which has been operating on a four-day work week since 2021, and Microsoft Japan, which saw a reported 40% productivity increase during a 2019 pilot, are proof that the four-day work week is feasible.

“Let’s use technology to benefit workers,” Sanders concluded. “That means give you more time with your family, with your friends, for education, whatever the hell you wanna do.”

Keywords: Bernie Sanders, AI, four-day work week, productivity, technology, work-life balance.

Source: Amanda Silberling, TechCrunch.