Will AI lead to shorter workweeks? Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and others say yes

What just happened? There are plenty of justifiable concerns over what impact AI will have on the workplace of the near future. Bill Gates is one big tech name who believes the technology will have benefits, though, including a two- or three-day work week in the next decade. That's probably welcome news for those whose jobs haven't been replaced by AI, and provided their employers don't pay them part-time wages.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show recently, Gates predicted a future in which humans will no longer be necessary "for most things" because of advanced AI. It's a view shared by Elon Musk, who in 2023 told then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that artificial intelligence will eventually replace all human jobs as it would be able to "do everything."

For those who haven't been replaced, Gates asked, "What will jobs be like? Should ...