Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, explained on the Relentless podcast why four-day workweeks or six-hour workdays have not become widespread despite advances in artificial intelligence.
Altman argued that people — consciously or unconsciously — want to be occupied and to have tasks to do. He said, “We always want more. We invent new things to do, to make for each other, to desire for ourselves. It’s kind of a relative game. People care a lot about how they perform relative to others.”
He does not expect AI to fundamentally change that relationship to work. Altman predicted that although people will keep complaining about work, many will secretly be happy to find new tasks and goals created by the changed technological landscape.
More leisure, but higher expectations
According to Altman, technological progress has given humanity more leisure time and a higher standard of living than at any previous point in history. Yet for many this is insufficient: when technology makes existing tasks easier, we invent new products, ambitions, experiences and problems to solve. Expectations tend to rise alongside capabilities, producing fresh demands and objectives.
Altman emphasized that beyond money and status, many people have a genuine desire to create, to contribute and to feel useful. He believes this motivation will persist even if AI takes over a large share of today’s work.
Conclusion
In Altman’s view, the barrier to shorter workweeks in an AI-enabled world is less technological than psychological and social: people themselves seek ongoing activity and new goals. He made these remarks on the Relentless podcast, and portions of the conversation are available on YouTube.
