Sam Altman now says smarter software won’t shorten the work week

On a recent episode of the Relentless podcast, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said better software probably won’t buy workers a shorter week. His argument was straightforward: when tools make people faster, expectations usually climb, workloads expand, and competition gets tighter, so the gain turns into more output rather than more time off. He paired that with an even bigger claim, that society is already “in the singularity.” The remarks also signal a change in tone from Altman’s earlier jobs-apocalypse warnings to his newer line that he was “delighted to be wrong,” since plenty of roles still hinge on human judgment and interaction.

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The research cuts the other way. One survey found that 29% of four-day-week organizations make heavy use of advanced automation, compared with 8% of five-day firms, and 93% of current users said they’d be open to shorter weeks. A global pilot reported average revenue growth of 8%, along with lower stress and fatigue. The UK trial found that 89% kept the model and 51% made it permanent. Convictional and RocketAir both say automation helped them make the switch without cutting pay.

There’s also a policy angle here. OpenAI has floated the idea of a 32-hour “efficiency dividend,” Senator Bernie Sanders backs a 32-hour bill, and Spain is moving toward a 37.5-hour work week. Most of the data, though, still leans toward office jobs in wealthier countries.

You can hear Altman’s comments on the Relentless podcast.

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