As AI companies rave about how their products are revolutionizing productivity, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants the tech industry to put its money where its automated mouth is.
In a recent interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Sanders argued that the time saved with AI tools should be given back to workers to spend with their families.
“Technology is gonna work to improve us, not just the people who own the technology and the CEOs of large corporations,” Sanders said. “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 workweek to 32 hours.”
It’s a concept that would be a relief to most people, and an abject horror to anyone who has ever been to Davos. What’s the point of life if you don’t take every moment you can to drive shareholder value?
For the tech elite, the promise of AI-driven increases in productivity means that companies can do even more, since their workers will be freed up to take on even more tasks — or, they can save money by just slashing their headcount. But for workers, this boost in efficiency could mean completing their existing workloads in less time with no loss in pay, so maybe if they’re lucky, they can make it to their kid’s Little League game.
“And by the way, not a radical idea,” Sanders said. “There are companies around the world that are doing it with some success.”
In the United Kingdom, for instance, 61 companies (around 2,900 workers) piloted a four-day workweek in the latter half of 2022. Out of 23 companies that shared financial data, the revenue from the beginning to the end of the trial remained about the same, rising by 1.4% on average.
Kickstarter has operated on a four-day workweek since 2021, while Microsoft Japan piloted a four-day workweek in 2019, which led to a reported 40% increase in productivity.
“Let’s use technology to benefit workers,” Sanders said. “That means give you more time with your family, with your friends, for education, whatever the hell you wanna do.”