Most people — even those who love their jobs — probably wouldn't mind shaving a few days off the workweek. Turns out, neither would Bill Gates. Yes, that Bill Gates. The man who famously worked 16-hour days in his 20s, refused vacations, and practically lived at Microsoft.
Now? He's saying less work might actually be better.
"It's probably OK," Gates said in November 2023 on Trevor Noah's "What Now?" podcast. "If you eventually get a society where you only have to work three days a week or something, that's probably OK if the machines can make all the food and the stuff and we don't have to work as hard."
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The billionaire, who built his career on relentless work ethic and obsession with productivity, now envisions a future where artificial intelligence and automation take over essential tasks — leaving humans with more free time.
"If you zoom out, the purpose of life is not just to do jobs," Gates told Noah.
Of course, he's not calling for a mass resignation just yet. Gates pointed out that even with a shorter workweek, there will still be plenty of meaningful work to go around. "The demand for labor to do good things is still there if you match the skills to it," he said. "And then if you ever get beyond that, then, OK, you have a lot of leisure time and will have to figure out what to do with it."
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He also acknowledged that the shift won't happen overnight — or pain-free. Technological change can mean job loss. But, Gates noted, "If they come slow enough, they're generational." Historically, societies have adapted. For example, farming jobs declined gradually over many decades.
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"It's all good," Gates added. "It's the aging society, it's OK because the software makes things more productive."
This isn't the first time Gates has painted a picture of a lighter workload thanks to technology. He's long predicted that AI will revolutionize productivity, healthcare, and even personal assistants that can help people manage daily life. But he's also warned that governments need to create "rules of the road" to ensure AI's benefits outweigh the risks.
This isn't just speculation. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that up to 30% of the company's code is now written by AI — and that number is climbing. And it's not just Big Tech: autonomous trucking companies like Aurora are already running driverless freight routes between Dallas and Houston, clocking over 1,200 miles without a human at the wheel.
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While these innovations promise more efficiency, they also raise tough questions about jobs. A Barclays study found that AI isn't causing mass unemployment yet, but it is holding down pay growth in some industries. Gates acknowledged these risks, saying technological change needs to come at a reasonable pace and be backed by government support so workers can adjust.
Some countries are already testing what a lighter workload might look like. Iceland's shorter workweek trials led to better well-being and no drop in productivity. Belgium has also rolled out labor reforms letting workers compress their hours into a four-day week.
For now, the man who once couldn't imagine taking a day off seems surprisingly open to a future where most of us might only work three days a week. And, honestly? Most people probably wouldn't argue with that.
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