Much before N.R Narayana Murthy hammered home the idea of a 72-hour work week, which generated a spectrum of opinions, a famous English philosopher & economist made a startling prediction. In an essay dating back 1930, John Maynard Keynes signaled the possibility of a 15-hour workweek (yes, you read that right!) and envisaged that his grandchildren would perhaps work only 2-days a week. While that would likely remain a utopian idea, the debate on how long one must work and whether longer hours of work really mean better outcomes continues to deepen. 

Amidst these debates, a new study hints at the possibility of AI technologies making the 4-day work week a reality in countries like UK and US. A report from thinktank Autonomy finds that a four-day week (32-hours as full-time equivalent) could be achieved by 2033 for 8.8 million workers in UK, without reduction in livelihoods or productivity.

While Generative AI is observed as a threat to high-skilled jobs especially in advanced economies like US and UK, there are positive sides to the technology. 

“As ever, alternatives are possible: how productivity gains are to be distributed is a contestable question. Whilst many have focused on the pessimistic – and often deterministic – outlook of job losses and degradation, the prospect of improved productivity for huge swathes of the workforce also points to an alternative, more equitable solution: shorter working weeks for all and a four-day week horizon,” the study highlights. 

It also forecasts that a significant 88 percent of the labour force in Great Britain could have working hours reduced by at least 10%, should Large Language Models (LLMs) be introduced into workplaces and used as the basis for increased free time. This can impact as many as 27.9 million workers in 2033. Besides, many local authorities in UK hold the potential for 38% or more of their workforces to move to a four-day week using AI augmentation over the next decade.

A shorter work week, per the study, is a way of tangibly delivering benefits to workers whose workflow has been augmented by new AI tools. “This represents a huge opportunity for policymakers, trade unions and of course the millions of workers who are likely to be affected in some or another by these new AI technologies,” it summarizes.  

Closer home in India, many of these constructive debates have yet to be mainstream. Nevertheless, the role of technology is to augment and optimize human efforts and save us from job burnout. 

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A majority of employers around the world are optimistic that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), blockchain, and others, won’t eliminate workers, but will actually create more jobs. That’s according to The Future is Now: AI, the Metaverse, & the World of Work, from Experis, the global IT professional resourcing and services company that is part of the ManpowerGroup family of brands.

“The integration of AI, machine learning, VR/AR, and other emerging technologies is rapidly transforming industries and driving the need for an adaptable workforce,” said Experis Senior Vice President Ger Doyle. “We are seeing companies embrace these new technologies with many seeking to hire or upskill existing talent to take advantage of potential productivity gains. Smart employers know that embracing digitization and nurturing human talent will enhance their readiness to succeed in this era of rapid technological advancement.”

With 78% of IT organizations reporting difficulty hiring the talent they need with the skills they covet, an increasing number of companies are either adopting or planning to adopt the use of emerging technologies in their recruiting processes, including: AI (35% adopted, 36% plan to), Conversational AI (35% adopted, 36% plan to), Machine Learning (38% adopted, 34% plan to), and VR (30% adopted, 35% plan to), according to ManPower Group Talent Shortage Survey.

ManpowerGroup interviewed 5,978 IT employers across 41 countries on hiring intentions for the third quarter of 2023.

“So far, the signs are no different from what we have seen with earlier versions of AI or tech innovation. Generative AI can be expected to mostly automate tasks and skills within jobs rather than entire jobs. We should relish the opportunity to outsource these mundane tasks – freeing up our time for more creative and intellectually sophisticated endeavors,” ManpowerGroup Chief Innovation Officer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic said. “This isn’t about us versus AI or humans versus machines. Instead, it’s about how we can leverage these tools to augment and upgrade our uniquely human skills and lead a more human-centric life.”

Additionally, the latest Experis Tech Talent Outlook finds the rise of new tech has also shifted the hiring priorities and focus for employers.

The top five staffing priorities reported are:

1. Cybersecurity (34%)
2. Technical Support (32%)
3. Customer or User Experience (31%)
4. Database Management (27%)
5. Customer Relationship Management Systems (25%)

To address these technology-related challenges, employers shared they are implementing the following approaches:

• Training and upskilling the current workforce (50%)
• Hiring new workers with the required skills (46%)
• Investing more in automation (39%)
• Reskilling workers and transitioning them into IT roles (39%)
• Hiring short-term staff (freelancers, contract workers, etc.) to fill skills gaps (38%)

The Experis Tech Talent Outlook research is based on results from the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

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