Bernie Sanders says that if AI makes us so productive, we should always get a 4-day work week
As AI corporations rave about how their merchandise are revolutionizing productiveness, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) needs the tech trade to place its cash the place its automated mouth is.
In a current interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Sanders argued that the time saved with AI instruments needs to be given again to employees to spend with their households.
“Know-how is gonna work to enhance us, not simply the individuals who personal the know-how and the CEOs of enormous firms,” Sanders stated. “You’re a employee, your productiveness is rising as a result of we offer you AI, proper? As a substitute of throwing you out on the road, I’m gonna scale back your work week to 32 hours.”
It’s an idea that will be a reduction to most individuals, and an abject horror to anybody who has ever been to Davos. What’s the purpose of life should you don’t take each second you possibly can to drive shareholder worth?
For the tech elite, the promise of AI-driven will increase in productiveness signifies that corporations can do much more, since their employees can be freed as much as tackle much more duties — or, they’ll lower your expenses by simply slashing their headcount. However for employees, this increase in effectivity might imply finishing their present workloads in much less time with no loss in pay, so possibly in the event that they’re fortunate, they’ll make it to their child’s Little League recreation.
“And by the way in which, not a radical concept,” Sanders stated. “There are corporations all over the world which are doing it with some success.”
In the UK, as an illustration, 61 corporations (round 2,900 employees) piloted a four-day work week within the latter half of 2022. Out of 23 corporations that shared monetary knowledge, the income from the start to the top of the trial remained about the identical, rising by 1.4% on common.
Kickstarter has operated on a four-day work week since 2021, whereas Microsoft Japan piloted a four-day work week in 2019, which led to a reported 40% enhance in productiveness.
“Let’s use know-how to profit employees,” Sanders stated. “Meaning offer you extra time with your loved ones, with your folks, for training, regardless of the hell you wanna do.”