AI Could Allow For 3-Day Workweeks And Single-Income Households, Bezos Claims

Topline

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he believes artificial intelligence could generate enough productivity gains to allow Americans to have a three-day workweek or rely on a single-income for the whole household—pushing back against fears that the technology could lead to large-scale job losses for American workers.

Key Facts

In an interview with Fox News that aired Wednesday evening, Bezos told host Bret Baier he believes AI’s productivity gains could let some people decide, “I can support my family by working three days a week.”

He claimed families in two-earner households could decide they don’t need a second income and let one worker drop out.

The billionaire didn’t offer any specifics on how this could happen but said it backed his argument that AI could lead to labor shortages rather than large-scale job losses.

Bezos said he understood that a “lot of smart people are prognosticating” AI-driven job losses, but added, “I just happen to disagree with those smart people.”

When Baier noted that Amazon has cut around 30,000 jobs in the last 12 months, Bezos blamed the company’s hiring spree and its rapid headcount growth after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bezos on the ai bubble

Baier asked Bezos about his comments that AI was kind of an “industrial bubble” that is “good.” The billionaire said: “What happens in these industrial bubbles…speculators can lose money because they’re investing in all of these things. But the inventions don’t disappear when the bubble pops.” When Baier asked if the world was witnessing a bubble right now, Bezos replied: “It’s very hard to know. What I do know is the technology is real.” He argued that a bubble can be good for society, if not investors, because it allows every idea to be funded.

Crucial Quote

When Baier asked Bezos about his thought on President Donald Trump rebranding artificial intelligence and AI to “Super Intelligence” and “SI,” the Amazon founder said: “I do like SI because artificial is not a very flattering thing…Nobody wants an artificial sweetener or artificial flavoring. Artificial sort of means fake.”

Forbes Valuation

Forbes estimates Bezos’ net worth at around $378.6 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world, behind trillionaire Elon Musk.