AI to help increase ‘me-time’? OpenAI pushes for four-day work week

OpenAI has suggested the introduction of a four-day working week as part of a broader effort to ensure employees benefit from the growing impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the workplace.

In a 13-page report titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First”, the company outlined a series of recommendations aimed at helping governments maintain a human-centred approach to AI adoption while ensuring the gains are shared across society.

Among its key proposals is the introduction of time-limited pilots for a 32-hour, four-day working week without any reduction in pay. Employers and unions would be encouraged to maintain current levels of output and service, with productivity gains then converted into either permanent reductions in working hours, additional paid leave, or a combination of both.

The report also calls for the introduction of “benefits bonuses”, linking productivity improvements directly to worker rewards. These could provide employees with both greater financial security and increased personal time, effectively allowing them to share in the efficiency gains generated by AI.

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OpenAI noted that rapid advancements in AI capabilities are already reducing the time required to complete many tasks. Systems that once supported work taking minutes are now assisting with tasks that previously required hours. If this trend continues, AI could soon handle projects that currently take months to complete.

Such developments, the report argues, will fundamentally reshape organisational structures, knowledge creation, and how individuals find purpose and opportunity in their work. It also highlights the limitations of existing policy frameworks, calling for more ambitious approaches to ensure people remain at the centre of the transition to increasingly powerful AI systems.

In addition to labour reforms, OpenAI proposed the creation of a “public wealth fund” designed to give citizens a direct stake in AI-driven economic growth. The fund could be jointly developed by policymakers and AI companies and invested in a diversified portfolio of long-term assets, including AI firms and businesses adopting the technology.

Returns from the fund could then be distributed to the public, enabling broader participation in the economic benefits of AI regardless of individuals’ starting wealth or access to capital.

The report concludes that as AI continues to evolve, policymakers will need to rethink traditional economic and labour models to ensure the technology delivers widespread societal benefits rather than concentrating gains among a few.