Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation aimed at channeling the benefits of artificial intelligence towards workers by proposing a gradual transition to a 32-hour workweek without reducing pay. The bill suggests that by 2025, workers should receive overtime pay for work exceeding 32 hours per week, effectively creating a four-day workweek standard. Sanders argues that AI and automation should benefit workers rather than just increasing corporate profits, pointing out that while worker productivity has increased significantly over decades, wages haven’t kept pace with productivity gains. The legislation also includes provisions to prevent job displacement due to AI, requiring companies to provide advance notice of AI implementation and ensuring workers receive severance pay and retraining opportunities if displaced. The proposal builds on historical labor movements that previously achieved the 40-hour workweek and aims to ensure technological advances benefit the broader workforce. Sanders emphasizes that as AI continues to boost productivity, workers should share in these gains through reduced working hours while maintaining their standard of living. The bill faces significant opposition from business groups who argue it could increase costs and reduce competitiveness, but supporters contend it represents a necessary step in adapting labor standards to technological advancement and ensuring equitable distribution of AI-driven productivity gains.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-ai-workers-4-day-workweek-2025-6