Darren Jones predicts AI could bring four-day weeks within a decade
Former Labour chief secretary Darren Jones has predicted that AI could enable most workers to move to a four-day week within the next decade. Speaking at a New Statesman event at Labour’s conference, he said people might gain more time for family and personal life, while stressing that maintaining salaries sufficient to meet living costs would be essential.
Jones described the shift towards less work as inevitable, even as AI is already costing jobs. His optimistic view contrasts with warnings from some AI specialists: researcher Jacob Coxon, who has worked with Anthropic and OpenAI, recently cautioned that advanced AI could pose severe risks, potentially by the end of the decade.
- Jones predicts AI could bring a four-day week for most workers.
- He says protecting salaries and living standards is essential.
- His optimism contrasts with warnings about AI’s potential dangers.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The optimistic case holds that artificial intelligence will dramatically increase productivity, enabling the same valuable work to be accomplished in substantially fewer hours. Proponents point to the historical pattern whereby technological advancement has progressively shortened working hours—from six-day weeks to five—whilst maintaining or improving living standards. If policymakers and businesses commit to sharing these productivity gains equitably, workers could genuinely benefit from enhanced leisure time, stronger family connections, and improved wellbeing, all whilst earning sufficient wages to meet their needs.
The case against
The sceptical case observes that previous technological revolutions, despite vastly increasing productivity, did not automatically translate into shorter hours or better worker conditions. Instead, capital owners typically captured most gains, whilst workers faced displacement or wage stagnation. Without forceful policy intervention, mandatory worker protections, and structural economic reforms ensuring equitable wealth distribution, AI is more likely to concentrate gains among technology firms and shareholders than to spontaneously generate four-day weeks. A decade is also remarkably brief for such fundamental restructuring of labour relations and the economy.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “AI ‘will let us all work a four-day week’, Keir Starmer’s former chief secretary claims”.