Zoom CEO Eric Yuan says AI could reduce five-day workweek to three

Artificial intelligence may reduce the five-day workweek to as few as three days, according to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan.

Speaking to The New York Times in a recent interview, Yuan said advances in AI will allow businesses to operate effectively with fewer working days. He noted that the transformation would alter not only schedules but also the structure of employment itself.

Yuan explained that shifts in the labor market will follow as companies integrate AI into their operations. “Whenever there’s a technology paradigm shift, some job opportunities are gone, but it will create some new opportunities,” he told the Times. He added that engineering work provides an example of the change, saying, “For some jobs, like entry-level engineers, we can use AI to write code. However, you still need to manage that code. You also create a lot of digital agents, and you need someone to manage those agents.”

Other technology leaders have also predicted shorter workweeks as AI accelerates productivity. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have publicly said that automation and generative AI will reshape how people spend their time on the job. During a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference in May, Huang encouraged both business leaders and workers to adapt by learning new skills and seeking out new opportunities in an evolving job market. “You’re not going to lose your job to AI; you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI,” he stated.