AI Was Supposed to Reduce the 40-Hour Workweek. So Why Are Tech Leaders Now Saying 60 Hours Is the Minimum?
The Promise That Didn't Age Well
In 2014, Google founders painted a future where artificial intelligence and automation would liberate us from the 40-hour workweek. They envisioned a world where technology absorbed the mundane, the repetitive, the soul-draining, leaving humans free to pursue what truly matters.
That vision is why my ten year old blog post on AI and work-life balance is suddenly trending again—seeing a staggering 2,400% traffic increase in just a few days.
But there’s just one problem:
The post didn’t age well.
A decade later, that utopian dream has turned into something else entirely.
A leaked memo from Sergey Brin spilled the beans…
The very same leaders who once championed AI as the great liberator of human potential are now saying that those building AI need to work 60+ hours per week—just to keep up.
So what changed?
The AI Race: When the Game Becomes Survival
Back in 2014, AI was a promising idea, but it wasn’t advancing at the breakneck speed we’re witnessing today. Now, we’re in an all-out arms race.
🚀 Every week, major tech companies are dropping multiple AI advancements.
💰 Billions in funding are flowing into AI startups, accelerating the pace of innovation.
🏆 The stakes aren’t just about progress—they’re about who will control the future of work itself.
Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and countless others know one thing: if they slow down, they lose.
And so, they don’t slow down. They push harder. They demand more. They call for longer hours, deeper focus, relentless intensity.
The very technology designed to free us from drudgery is now demanding more human effort than ever before.
And yet—some people thrive in this high-stakes environment. They find meaning in the intensity, connection in the shared mission, intellectual exhilaration in solving challenges that have never existed before.
But here’s the truth that gets buried beneath the chaos: You don’t have to play their game.
The Real Insight: What Game Are You Actually Playing?
Yes, if you’re at the cutting edge of AI development, the competitive landscape is intense, unforgiving, and potentially exhilarating.
But for everyone else?
AI should be creating options, not limitations.
✅ Automating the tasks that drain your energy and creativity.✅ Giving you deeper control over how you spend your time.✅ Helping you design work that aligns with your strengths, values, and vision of success.
And in this transition, your intuition is your most valuable compass.
The Real Question: How Will You Use AI?
Tech leaders may be setting the 60-hour workweek as a new baseline, but that narrative serves their interests—not necessarily yours.
📌 If high-intensity environments fuel you, own that path with clarity.📌 But if your body and mind signal resistance, pay attention. That’s equally valuable information.
The future of work is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
It’s about having the courage to design work in a way that reflects what matters most to you—whether that’s innovation, deep analysis, meaningful connection, autonomy, or something else entirely.
So the real question isn’t whether AI will demand more from you.
It’s this:
👉 Will you use AI to scale up?👉 Will you use it to step back?👉 Will you use it to design work that actually fuels your life?
That choice is yours.
And the future of work?
That’s up to the people bold enough to shape it.
Let’s talk. How are you integrating AI into your work? Drop your thoughts below.
Be sure to share this post with someone like you - who’s redefining success on their own terms.
P.S. Want to learn more about leveraging AI to gain time and energy freedom? Let’s connect.
Member discussion