As companies struggle with employee resistance to artificial intelligence adoption, a new book suggests an innovative solution: implementing a four-day workweek to share AI’s productivity gains with workers. Authors Jared Lindzon and Joe O’Connor argue in their book “Do More in Four” that letting employees work four days for five days’ pay could be a strategic way to “share the rewards” of AI-driven innovation and technological advancement.
The proposal comes as AI adoption faces significant workplace challenges. According to a 2025 survey by IT company Kyndryl, 45% of CEOs reported that their workers were actively resisting AI technology. Boston Consulting Group identified “cultural resistance and emotional friction” as the biggest impediments to AI adoption in 2025, despite one in three companies investing at least $25 million into AI initiatives.
Employee anxiety about AI-induced layoffs appears to be driving much of this resistance. O’Connor noted that workplace discussions about AI frequently turn to fears of job cuts. Some business leaders have responded with frustration—Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in 2025 that he went “rogue” in firing workers who didn’t adopt AI after being directed to do so. IgniteTech cut nearly 80% of its workforce after employees failed to quickly embrace AI, with leadership lamenting that “changing minds was harder than adding skills.”
The four-day workweek concept aligns with predictions from prominent tech leaders about AI’s impact on working hours. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has suggested workweeks might shrink to two days, while JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon envisions 3.5-day workweeks becoming standard. Even Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, known for 14-hour workdays, has acknowledged AI could enable more time away from the office. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation in 2024 to establish a 32-hour standard workweek, citing efficiency gains from technologies like AI.
O’Connor emphasized that maximizing AI’s benefits will require fostering “fundamentally human” traits like creativity, judgment, critical thinking, and adaptability—qualities that won’t flourish by simply working faster or longer. Instead, he advocates for “maximizing people’s energy, maximizing people’s motivation, maximizing people’s well-being and recovery.”
However, not all executives are convinced. Umesh Ramakrishnan of Kingsley Gate stated that many leaders would prefer to channel AI productivity gains toward revenue and profit growth rather than reduced hours. Still, Lindzon argues that asking workers to be 20% more effective so they can benefit directly transforms the conversation from a mandate to a collaborative opportunity.
Key Quotes
Cultural resistance and emotional friction are the biggest impediments to AI adoption
Boston Consulting Group reported this finding in 2025, highlighting that the primary challenge to implementing AI isn’t technical capability but human acceptance. This underscores why addressing employee concerns through initiatives like shorter workweeks could be strategically important for companies investing heavily in AI.
It completely changes the conversation from a ‘You have to do this’ to ‘We get to do this together’
Jared Lindzon explained how offering workers a four-day workweek in exchange for AI-driven productivity gains reframes AI adoption as a collaborative opportunity rather than a top-down mandate. This shift in framing could be key to overcoming the resistance that 45% of CEOs report experiencing.
If you have a day to spare, get me more revenue, get me more profit
Umesh Ramakrishnan of Kingsley Gate articulated the perspective of many business leaders who view AI productivity gains as opportunities for growth rather than reduced hours. He acknowledged this might sound “heartless” but defended it as simply how business works, revealing the fundamental tension between shareholder and employee interests.
It’s going to be more about maximizing people’s energy, maximizing people’s motivation, maximizing people’s well-being and recovery
Joe O’Connor emphasized that as AI takes over routine tasks, the value of human workers will increasingly depend on creativity, judgment, and critical thinking—qualities that require rest and recovery rather than longer hours. This suggests that four-day workweeks aren’t just employee perks but strategic necessities for maximizing human potential in an AI-augmented workplace.
Our Take
This article captures a pivotal moment in the AI transformation of work. The resistance data—45% of CEOs reporting pushback—reveals that AI adoption isn’t primarily a technical challenge but a human one. The four-day workweek proposal is compelling because it addresses the fundamental question workers are asking: “What’s in it for me?”
The contrast between leaders like Armstrong firing resisters and the collaborative approach suggested by Lindzon and O’Connor represents two divergent paths for AI integration. History suggests that technologies succeed when they improve lives broadly, not just shareholder returns. The predictions from Gates and Dimon about dramatically shorter workweeks indicate even business elites recognize AI’s potential to fundamentally reshape work. The question is whether companies will voluntarily share these gains or whether workers will need legislative intervention. Companies that proactively adopt models like four-day weeks may gain competitive advantages in talent attraction and genuine AI adoption, while those taking punitive approaches risk ongoing resistance and cultural dysfunction.
Why This Matters
This story highlights a critical tension in the AI revolution: how to distribute the benefits of technological advancement between employers and employees. With nearly half of CEOs reporting worker resistance to AI and companies investing tens of millions in the technology, the success of AI implementation may hinge on addressing employee concerns rather than simply mandating adoption.
The four-day workweek proposal represents a paradigm shift in thinking about AI’s value proposition. Rather than viewing AI solely as a tool for corporate profit maximization, it frames the technology as a means to improve quality of life for workers. This approach could be crucial for overcoming the “cultural resistance and emotional friction” that BCG identified as the primary barrier to AI adoption.
The broader implications extend beyond individual companies to societal questions about work, automation, and prosperity. As AI capabilities expand, determining who benefits from productivity gains will shape economic inequality, worker satisfaction, and the social contract between employers and employees. The predictions from Gates, Dimon, and other leaders suggest that reduced working hours may be inevitable—the question is whether companies will proactively share these gains or whether workers will need to fight for them through legislation like Sanders’ proposed bill.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/four-day-workweek-might-incentivize-employees-embrace-ai-2026-1