The End Of 5-Day Workweek? AI Could Cut It To 3 Days By 2031, Says Zoom CEO Eric Yuan

The five-day workweek has defined modern employment for nearly a century. Offices, schools and entire economies operate around that schedule. Yet one of the technology leaders who helped accelerate remote work believes the system may soon change.

Zoom chief executive Eric Yuan says artificial intelligence could significantly reduce the number of days people work each week. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Yuan said advances in AI may cut the workweek to just three days within the next half decade. Yuan argued that technology is advancing faster than the structures that organise modern work.

AI May Transform Everyday Work

Yuan said the traditional five-day schedule may soon feel outdated as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday tasks. 'I hate working five days,' Yuan told Wall Street Journal. He added that he believes people may not need to work five days a week as digital agents become more capable.

According to Yuan, individuals could eventually deploy large numbers of AI agents to perform routine work. These systems could manage emails, prepare documents, analyse information and even attend meetings. 'I do not think we need to work for five days because, literally, we all will employ so many digital agents,' Yuan said.

The Zoom founder has already tested similar technology. Last year he used an AI version of himself to participate in an earnings call, demonstrating how digital tools can replicate certain professional interactions. Yuan said these tools could free workers from repetitive tasks while allowing them to focus more on creative or strategic work.

Productivity Gains Could Shorten Working Hours

Shorter workweeks have historically followed major productivity breakthroughs. In the early twentieth century, industrialist Henry Ford helped popularise the five-day workweek in the US after introducing assembly-line efficiency in manufacturing. The move reduced the standard six-day schedule and later became widely adopted across industries.

Yuan believes artificial intelligence could drive a similar transformation. He suggested that rapid advances in automation may allow companies to maintain productivity even if employees work fewer days.

Workers Already Support Shorter Schedules

Interest in reduced working hours is already growing. A 2024 survey by the American Psychological Association found that around 80 per cent of workers believe they would be happier working four days instead of five while remaining equally productive.

Many pilot programmes follow what researchers call the 100-80-100 model. Employees receive full pay for working 80 per cent of their previous hours while maintaining the same level of productivity. Trials organised by the group 4 Day Week Global have reported improvements in mental health, stress levels and work-life balance among participants.

However, some companies have tried a different approach by compressing hours into four ten-hour shifts. Research analysed by the American Psychological Association suggests that longer daily shifts can place additional strain on health and make family responsibilities harder to manage.

Business Leaders Expect The Shift

Other senior executives have suggested that technology could shorten working schedules in the future. JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon recently told CBS News that future generations may work roughly three and a half days each week as productivity improves.

Dimon added in his annual shareholder letter that artificial intelligence could transform industries while also allowing people to work less over time. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has similarly urged businesses and policymakers to begin experimenting with shorter workweek models as AI systems become more capable.

Work Will Not Disappear

Despite predicting fewer working days, Yuan said employment itself will not vanish. He said technology may give people more freedom while still encouraging them to pursue new ideas and projects.

Workers may spend less time completing repetitive tasks and more time exploring innovation, learning and collaboration. For now, the five-day week remains the dominant global standard. But if artificial intelligence develops at the pace many technology leaders expect, the structure of work could look very different by 2031.