As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is raising a provocative question to America’s tech and political establishments: if AI is boosting productivity, then why aren’t workers seeing the benefit?
In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Sanders argued that technological advancement—especially in AI—should be used not to cut jobs, but to improve lives by shortening the workweek without reducing pay.
“Technology is gonna work to improve us, not just the people who own the technology and the CEOs of large corporations,” Sanders told Rogan. “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.”
Sanders’ comments come at a time when companies are touting major productivity gains from generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, which can handle tasks ranging from writing and research to software development and customer service. Yet those same companies have also laid off tens of thousands of workers since 2023, citing AI-led restructuring and automation.
The disconnect between rising efficiency and eroding job security has triggered renewed interest in labor reforms—and now, growing calls to institutionalize the four-day workweek.
A Legislative Path Forward?
Sanders’ postulation has sparked fresh conversations among workers, some of whom now say it’s time for Congress to step in and legislate a reduced workweek as a way to fairly distribute the gains of AI and automation.
The issue of 4-day-a-week work has been in discussion for a while. In 2021, Representative Mark Takano (D-CA), introduced a bill to mandate a 32-hour workweek. The proposed bill called the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act, received backing from many, especially, labor rights organizations.
Takano’s bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 while keeping overtime protections in place—essentially incentivizing companies to either reduce hours or pay extra for work beyond four days a week.
Though the bill has yet to be brought to a vote, Takano and others see Sanders’ growing visibility on the issue as a chance to rally public pressure on Congress. A number of progressive lawmakers have expressed informal support for experimenting with shorter workweeks, especially in tech, education, and healthcare sectors.
Last year, Sanders introduced legislation that would establish a 32-hour workweek in the U.S. with no loss of pay, a change the Vermont senator said is necessary to ensure the working class benefits from massive productivity gains and technological advances.
“Today, American workers are over 400% more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change,” said Sanders. “The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street.”
Real-World Successes Strengthen the Case
Evidence backing the four-day workweek is mounting.
In the United Kingdom, a six-month trial involving 61 companies and nearly 3,000 workers found that 92% of firms chose to keep the reduced schedule after the trial concluded. Productivity was largely maintained or improved, while workers reported lower stress, fewer sick days, and better work-life balance.
In the U.S., companies like Kickstarter have adopted a permanent four-day week, while Microsoft Japan’s 2019 pilot showed a 40% jump in productivity, with employees saying they were more focused and engaged during the reduced hours.
Sanders pointed to these examples as proof that the model can work without sacrificing output.
“Not a radical idea,” he told Rogan. “There are companies around the world that are doing it with some success. Let’s use technology to benefit workers. That means give you more time with your family, with your friends, for education—whatever the hell you wanna do.”
Rising Public Support
Polling shows that a majority of Americans favor the idea. A 2023 YouGov survey found that over 60% of respondents support a four-day workweek with no loss of pay, especially among younger workers and parents.
Unions, too, are beginning to adopt the idea as a bargaining chip. The United Auto Workers (UAW), during negotiations in 2023, included a four-day workweek in its list of demands. In California, a proposal to pilot a reduced workweek in state agencies was floated but didn’t advance. Still, activists say the tide is turning.
What Sanders has done, say analysts, is link AI’s economic impact to labor policy, pushing the conversation from boardrooms to legislative chambers.
While resistance from business lobbies is expected—particularly in sectors reliant on hourly labor—Sanders’ comments may mark a turning point.
