In a podcast, US Senator Bernie Sanders recently discussed the advances in AI and the path the Tech industry should take according to his assessment.
What path should the Tech industry take? In the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” US Senator Bernard “Bernie” Sanders explained that advances in AI will significantly positively impact companies’ productivity.
Instead of simply using this increasing productivity to distribute more tasks to employees or to lay off workers, companies benefiting from AI, according to Sanders, should allow employees to benefit from the saved working time.
How? By introducing a shortened workweek of 32 hours or a 4-day week: “Let’s use technology for the benefit of workers. This means you have more time with your family, with your friends, for education, or for anything else you want to do,” via techcrunch.com.
He has run multiple times in the Democratic primaries for the presidential election. In 2016, he was defeated by Hillary Clinton, and in 2020 he lost to Joe Biden.
Sanders sees himself as a democratic socialist who values the market economy but continually fights for social services and support from the state.
Less is sometimes more
What practical experiences exist regarding the 4-day week? The US Senator emphasizes, “By the way, this is not a radical idea. There are companies worldwide that have successfully implemented this.” For example, in the United Kingdom, there was a test in 2022 with 61 participating companies (source: squarespace.com).
Among the 23 companies that later provided their financial data, there was an average revenue increase of 1.4 percent during the tested 4-day workweek. An even more successful test occurred at Microsoft Japan, where productivity reportedly increased by 40 percent during the shortened workweeks (via theguardian.com).
In May 2025, MeinMMO reported on another case: Iceland implemented a nationwide 4-day week in 2019. Six years later, it is clear that it benefits both employers and employees: A country in Europe introduced the 4-day week six years ago, and today we know: The Gen Z was always right
