For years, it was predicted that artificial intelligence would transform working life and allow people to work less. However, the situation is taking the opposite course in companies developing this technology.

Information from employees of OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google shows that weekly working hours have increased to 90 hours in the age of artificial intelligence. The expected increase in productivity in the technology world is translating into longer working hours for employees.

OpenAI had suggested a 4-day work week

A Google engineering manager predicted four years ago that artificial intelligence would make a 4-day work week possible by 2025. OpenAI also took a similar approach this year, suggesting that companies switch to a four-day work week without salary cuts.

However, a former OpenAI employee who spoke to the BBC stated that the company did not implement this model it had suggested. The former employee stated that the company was characterized by frequent crisis meetings, weekend overtime, and harsh performance evaluations.

The former employee, who said that working hours at OpenAI reached at least 70 hours a week, stated that he currently works 50-60 hours a week at another AI venture. The employee said that the work pace remained at a more stable level outside of intense sprint periods.

Working hours reaching up to 90 hours exist

In the technology sector, periods called sprints encompass periods where employees work intensely before a new feature or product is released. Due to competition in the field of artificial intelligence, these intense periods can last for weeks in some companies.

It has been reported that working hours exceeded 90 hours a week during some sprint periods at OpenAI and Anthropic. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that AI is changing the way we work and that fewer employees can do more work.

While Meta laid off about one-tenth of its employees during this period, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that more widespread job losses could occur as productivity increases. In the US, there is no legal upper limit on weekly working hours for employees over the age of 16. In Europe and the UK, the work week ends at 48 hours, while in Turkey it ends at 45 hours.

The time gained is filled with new tasks

Contrary to the expectation that AI will reduce working hours, research shows that employees’ workloads are increasing. A study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, found that employees using AI worked faster but spread their working hours over a larger part of the day.

MIT researcher Neil Thompson notes that the time savings provided by artificial intelligence are being converted back into workload through tasks such as managing new systems and monitoring results. Employees are often forced to fill the time they gain with new tasks.

The resulting picture shows that the impact of artificial intelligence is not limited to time savings. Companies are filling employees’ accelerated work processes with higher productivity goals and broader responsibilities. Do you think artificial intelligence tools can really shorten working hours in the long run, or will the workload continue to increase?