Sam Altman Says AI Won’t Deliver the Four-Day Workweek Because People Keep Raising Their Ambitions

The widespread expectation that artificial intelligence would dramatically shorten the workweek is unlikely to become reality, according to Sam Altman, who argues that advances in technology tend to create new forms of work rather than eliminate the need for it.

Speaking on the Relentless podcast hosted by Ti Morse, the OpenAI chief executive said history suggests that productivity gains have consistently led people to pursue new goals instead of working substantially fewer hours.

“Technology, for a long time, has been promising people that they’re going to work less and they’re going to have all this leisure,” Altman said.

“But somehow we never get the promise of the four-hour workweek at mass scale in society. And I don’t expect AI to change that.”

Altman’s comments come as businesses across industries rapidly deploy generative AI to automate routine tasks, assist with coding, analyze data, generate content and improve customer service. While these tools have boosted productivity in many workplaces, they have not yet produced the widespread reduction in working hours that some technology advocates predicted when the AI boom began.

Instead, many companies have used productivity gains to expand output, accelerate product development or reduce labor costs, while workers often find themselves taking on additional responsibilities rather than working fewer hours.

Altman noted that technology has already given people more leisure time and a higher standard of living than previous generations, but said human ambition tends to grow alongside technological progress.

“We always want more. We think of new things to do, to create for each other, to want for ourselves. It’s like a relative game. People are very focused on how they’re doing relative to other people,” he said.

According to Altman, technological breakthroughs increase people’s capacity to create rather than diminishing their desire to work. As AI makes existing tasks easier, individuals and businesses develop new products, services and ambitions that generate fresh demand for labor.

He also suggested that work provides more than income, arguing that many people seek purpose, creativity and a sense of contribution alongside financial rewards.

“I think we’re all going to be much busier than we thought we were supposed to be in a post-superintelligence world. We’re still going to complain about it, but secretly we’re going to be happy,” Altman said.

The remarks add to an ongoing debate over how AI will reshape labor markets. While supporters believe the technology will free workers from repetitive tasks and enable them to focus on higher-value activities, critics contend that the benefits have so far accrued more to employers through higher productivity and lower labor costs than to employees through shorter workweeks or higher wages.

Concerns have also grown over AI’s impact on employment, as companies in technology, finance, media and professional services increasingly automate functions previously performed by humans.

Not everyone shares Altman’s view of how productivity gains should be distributed.

During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience last year, Bernie Sanders argued that workers should directly benefit from AI-driven productivity improvements by working fewer hours without a reduction in pay, rather than using the time savings to complete additional work.

Outside the United States, governments and businesses have continued experimenting with reduced working hours. Companies and public-sector organizations in countries including the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Germany have tested four-day workweeks while maintaining full salaries.

Results from several trials have suggested that shorter workweeks do not necessarily reduce business performance. An aggregated international study found participating organizations recorded an average 8% increase in revenue during four-day workweek trials. Workers also reported lower levels of fatigue and stress, while productivity generally remained stable or improved.

One of the most widely cited examples came from Microsoft’s Japan operation, where a four-day workweek pilot reported a roughly 40% increase in productivity alongside reductions in electricity consumption and office-related costs.

However, the differing perspectives have only fueled a broader question confronting businesses and policymakers as AI adoption accelerates: whether the technology’s productivity gains will primarily translate into stronger corporate profits and economic growth, or eventually be shared with workers through shorter hours, higher wages or improved workplace flexibility.