Tech Firms Push 72-Hour Work Weeks in AI Development Race
By
yladiz
Warm and crisp on the edges. A bagel with a bit of bite.
Summary
The article examines the trend of tech companies, particularly in the AI sector, pushing employees to work extremely long hours (up to 72-hour weeks) in what's being called an 'AI gold rush.' It features perspectives from various industry figures including Will Gao of Rilla who seeks 'Olympian athlete' employees, former Alibaba chairman Jack Ma who called the 996 trend (9am-9pm, 6 days a week) a 'blessing,' and critics like Deedy Das who argue long hours don't equate to productivity. The piece also references historical parallels like Japan's Karōshi (death from overwork) culture and examines the risks of this intense work culture in the tech industry's race for AI dominance.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledWill Gao says the company Rilla looks for people 'like Olympian athletes'
Jack Ma, former chairman of the Alibaba Group, called the 996 trend a 'blessing'
Deedy Das says working long hours does not mean staff are being productive or working efficiently
Office workers in the 1980s in Japan, where a culture of dedication to the employer has its own word, Karōshi
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