Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom — the video-calling company that took the world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic — is predicting a seismic shift in the way we work. At a time when millions of professionals were scrambling to adapt to remote working, Zoom emerged as one of the defining technologies of the era. Now, Yuan has set his sights on an even bigger transformation, arguing that artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape the working week as we know it.

Yuan is convinced that within five years, the five-day workweek will be a thing of the past. “If AI can make all of our lives better, why do we need to work for five days a week?” he argued. He believes that if AI agents — sophisticated programs capable of carrying out complex tasks autonomously — become widespread, they could take on much of the cognitive work that currently falls to human employees. If a worker had access to a reliable AI “digital twin,” they could dispatch their virtual counterpart to attend meetings on their behalf, freeing themselves up for more meaningful work. Yuan has already put this into practice — earlier this year, he sent his own AI avatar to address investors at a financial meeting while he got on with other priorities.

This would not be the first time that a technological breakthrough has turned the world of work on its head. At the turn of the 20th century, most factory workers were putting in six gruelling days a week. If Henry Ford had not introduced his revolutionary production line, that punishing schedule might have persisted far longer. Productivity surged, the workweek contracted, and five days gradually became the norm. Yuan contends that AI could trigger an even more profound shift — one that might make Ford’s revolution look modest by comparison.

A growing number of influential business figures have come out in support of this outlook. Bill Gates has gone on record stating that people might only need to clock in two or three days a week within the next decade. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has backed up this view, predicting a four-day workweek, though he cautioned that the work carried out during those days could become significantly more demanding. If organisations fail to actively manage this transition, there is a real risk that shorter weeks could simply mean more intense ones.

Nevertheless, not everyone has bought into this optimistic vision. Yuan himself has acknowledged that the road ahead will not be straightforward. If AI continues to advance at its current pace, entry-level positions could be phased out at an alarming rate as automation takes over routine cognitive tasks. If companies roll out AI systems without careful planning, whole categories of jobs could be wiped out before adequate alternatives have been created. Yuan maintains, however, that new roles will inevitably crop up — whether managing AI output, overseeing digital agents, or developing the next generation of intelligent systems.

The debate shows no sign of dying down, and the stakes could hardly be higher. If AI delivers on its promise, the nine-to-five could soon be consigned to history. If organisations fail to plan for the human cost of this transition, however, the consequences could be far-reaching. One thing, at least, seems beyond dispute: the world of work is changing faster than most of us had bargained for.