Billionaire CEO makes big three day work week prediction amid rise of AI
A billionaire CEO has made a bold prediction about the future of employment, claiming the working week will shrink drastically over the coming years.
A billionaire CEO has made a bold claim about how the standard work week will look in a few years’ time due to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Ari Emanuel, CEO of entertainment and media agency, Endeavor, recently predicted that AI could see the standard working week shrink to as little as three days in the future.
He told the Financial Times that the world could be “down to four-day work weeks” in the coming years, noting this could decrease further “down to three with AI” as a growing number of people use the technology to increase their productivity.
“There’s going to be more free time,” he said.
Mr Emanuel’s net worth is estimated to be over $1 billion, with the businessman debuting on Bloomberg Billionaires Index in February of this year.
He is also the CEO and executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC and WWE.
The billionaire’s certainty that AI will allow people to gain back more personal time in the future has also informed his decision to launch a new company called MARI, which will house a number of significant tennis tournaments, such as the Miami and Madrid Opens.
The new venture is based off the prediction that, as AI increases productivity, people will have more time and money to “go out and do stuff”, he told the Financial Times.
“If you believe the premise that humans are social animals, they’re going to have to do something. They can’t just sit at home, so they’ll go to music, they’ll go to sports and they’ll go to my live events,” Mr Emanuel said.
Mr Emanuel isn’t the only business leader who thinks this technology will ultimately see us working less, with JPMorgan CEO, Jamie Dimon, also recently claiming that the five-day week could soon be a thing of the past.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV late last year, he said that, even if AI ends up eliminating certain jobs, it will also drastically improve the quality of life of a lot of employees in the process.
“People have to take a deep breath,” Mr Dimon said.
“Technology has always replaced jobs. Your children are going to live to 100 and not have cancer because of technology.”
He added that, with future technology advancements, they will “probably be working three and a half days a week”.
The CEO said artificial intelligence is a “living breathing thing” that will continue to shift as time goes on.
He conceded there were still negatives to advancing technology, with the misuse of AI being one of those negatives.
“Technology has done unbelievable things for mankind but, you know, planes crash, pharmaceuticals get misused — there are negatives,” Mr Dimon said.
“This one, the biggest negative in my view is AI being used by bad people to do bad things.”
The four-day week debate is one that has gained significant traction in recent years, with growing support for the movement both overseas and in Australia.
Most recently, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) put forward a four-day week proposal at the Economic Reform Roundtable in August, calling for shorter working weeks with no loss of pay.
One of the common ways that companies implement a four-day week is by using the 100:80:100 model, in which staff keep 100 per cent of their pay but have their work hours reduced to 80 per cent.
However, they must maintain 100 per cent of their productivity in order for the change to work.
Other options include allowing staff to work a shorter week but for less pay, or offering standard 40 hour weeks condensed over four days.
The union suggested Australia move to the shorter working week model where appropriate, while also sector-specific alternatives where a full reduction isn’t possible.
These alternatives could include more rostered days off, increased annual leave or redesigned rosters that improve predictability, job security and work-life balance.
Pay and conditions, such as penalty rates, overtime, and minimum staffing levels, would be protected to ensure workers would not lose income as a result.
However, the idea was knocked back by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying the government had “no plans” to adopt a four-day week.
Despite this, there have been a growing number of companies trialling shortened weeks in recent years, including major brands like Medibank and Bunnings.
In a poll conducted by news.com.au at the start of 2025, 73 per cent of the 2646 voters agreed that a four-day work week should become the norm in Australia, stating any industry than can offer a shorter week should do so.
Just 11 per cent said no, stating it wouldn’t work for the majority of industries and nine per cent said it should be the norm but those who work a shorter week should be paid less.
Seven per cent of respondents said no to the proposal on the basis that it wouldn’t be fair to the people who still have to work a five day week.
Originally published as Billionaire CEO makes big three day work week prediction amid rise of AI
