AI is going to steal your job — or set you up for a life of long weekends

Last week, Amazon announced the elimination of 14,000 jobs worldwide as the retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. 

"Some may ask why we're reducing roles when the company is performing well," wrote Beth Galetti, a senior vice-president at the company. "What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we've seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”

For many, the Amazon cuts underscore the imminent threat posed by AI, especially for entry-level and other white-collar corporate positions. To borrow the lead of a recent Wall Street Journal article: “The nation’s largest employers have a new message for office workers: help not wanted.”

But in the long run, will AI actually lead to more jobs? Some high-profile CEOs are going one step further. They predict productivity gains from artificial intelligence will actually usher in an age of shorter work weeks.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said last week that people could be working four days a week — maybe even three — within five years. Microsoft’s Bill Gates said two days a week is even a possibility.

Joe O’Connor has been a champion of shorter work weeks for years. The founder and CEO of Toronto-based Work Time Revolution, he has helped many organizations implement the concept.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we revisit our recent conversation with O’Connor.

“The future of work is probably going to look a little bit more fractional,” he told the podcast. “We're going to see lots of different things happening. But I think one thing is for sure: in the next five to 10 years, the idea of a four-day work week, even if it's not the new normal, it's going to be a lot more normal than it is today. It's going to be something that is much more routine.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

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