Zoom chief suggests AI could bring a 3-day per week work policy: Here’s why

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Amid growing concerns about AI’s impact on reducing the workforce across various sectors, causing a decrease in employment, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan now suggests that technological advances in AI could lead to shorter workweeks. More specifically, Yuan has stated that in an AI-driven future, staff may only need to work a few days each week, potentially making the traditional five-day workweek inessential.

AI may replace human jobs and reduce worktime

According to Yuan, most businesses will soon switch to a three- or four-day weekly schedule. “I feel like if AI can make all of our lives better, why do we need to work for five days a week? Every company will support three days, four days a week. I think this ultimately frees up everyone’s time,” Yuan added in a recent interview with The New York Times.

Yuan has also stressed that AI could replace certain jobs in future, especially entry-level roles where a larger human workforce is required. However, he added that AI could also generate new employment opportunities, as “For some jobs, like entry-level engineers, we can use A.I. to write code. However, you still need to manage that code. You also create a lot of digital agents, and you need someone to manage those agents.”

Yuan’s view aligns with statements previously expressed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang. Such views imply that work-life balance could be markedly improved if AI is harnessed properly, but also raise concerns about future job opportunities.  However, these top executives also stress that this potential change in workweeks may not automatically translate to more leisure as the intensity of tasks in hand might increase as employees try to fit the same work in a lower number of days with the help of AI.