- ‘I hate working five days,’ says Zoom CEO Eric Yuan
- We could see three-day workweeks become the norm within five years
- Zoom’s hybrid work policies are also among the most flexible of Big Tech
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has said he believes AI tools could significantly reduce the standard work week, from five days to three days.
In an interview with Wall Street JournalYuan argued that AI agents and automation could handle the repetitive administrative tasks that workers often get stuck on.
By spending the same amount of time on meaningful work, without having to waste time on tedious tasks, they could free up hours each week, he said.
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Does Zoom advocate for a three-day work week?
With agent AI dramatically improving production and productivity, Yuan imagines a world where the five-day work week could become obsolete.
“I hate working five days,” he said of himself in the interview.
“I’m pretty sure we don’t actually need to work for five days,” the CEO added, suggesting we could see three-day weeks appear as soon as five years from now.
Yuan isn’t the only leader predicting positive impacts of AI on workers’ time: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and OpenAI leader Sam Altman have also set expectations for shorter workweeks.
Ultimately, Yuan sees this as a positive for work-life balance, however, he also recognizes that some jobs, especially entry-level ones, could be displaced by those exactly AI-induced productivity gains.
“We can enjoy time at the beach, but we want the children [to] I still find something new and exciting to work on. [on]”he added, indicating that the time gained should not be exclusively for downtime.
Instead, it would present a perfect opportunity for workers to upskill and prepare for future job trends.
As for the company itself, Zoom is one of the most flexible of Big Tech, typically requiring workers on site twice a week and offering remote opportunities for those who live further away from offices.
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