The Chinese-born entrepreneur behind the widely used Zoom video conferencing platform, Eric Yuan, believes artificial intelligence could fundamentally change how people work, potentially bringing an end to the traditional five-day workweek.
Yuan, who founded Zoom in 2011 after a successful career at WebEx, has guided the company to global prominence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as remote work and digital communication became essential.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Yuan said that the pace of AI development may, within the next five years, reduce the amount of human effort required across many industries.
He suggested this could make shorter working schedules, such as four-day weeks or even fewer days, more common.
According to Yuan, automation and intelligent digital systems are steadily taking over tasks that currently depend on people, changing the traditional understanding of productivity and work patterns.
“What is the world of work going to have in that world?” Yuan asked during the conversation, reflecting on how AI will redefine productivity and workplace expectations.
Although he admitted there is no certainty about the future, Yuan said, “I think I might be wrong,” while still insisting that the direction of AI innovation suggests that conventional work structures may not remain in place for much longer.
He explained that AI tools are already making areas such as communication, information management, and repetitive office duties more efficient.
As these systems continue to improve, businesses may discover that workers can produce the same results in less time.
Yuan also pointed to the possible lifestyle advantages of shorter working weeks, saying they could give people more opportunities to spend time with loved ones and focus on their own wellbeing.
He added that remote work and collaboration platforms, including those created by Zoom, have already helped businesses adopt more flexible ways of working.
That shift accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued in many workplaces since then.
His comments come as more organisations around the world test four-day work models, while others remain uncertain about how reduced schedules might affect productivity and profits.
Experts in labour and employment have argued that although AI may lower workloads in some sectors, the success of shorter workweeks will still depend on company policies, economic realities, and the type of work involved.
Even with those concerns, Yuan remains hopeful that advances in technology will eventually make fixed schedules far less important, with success measured more by results than by the number of hours employees spend at work.
