At OpenAI, Some Employees End Up Working 90-Hour Weeks—Even Though AI Was Supposed to Save Time

Long Hours Are Common in AI Industry Workplaces

According to НВ — Техно: On August 12 at 15:00, Gizmodo reported that staff at OpenAI and other AI companies typically put in 50 to 60 hours per week, and during periods of intense pressure, some individuals log as many as 90 hours. This pattern continues even as AI technology has been promoted as a way to reduce work schedules.

According to the BBC, former employees of AI firms have also described working on weekends and attending meetings outside regular business hours. At OpenAI, a 50-to-60-hour week is considered standard. The heavy workload stems from fierce competition among labs to ship new models and features more quickly. During code sprints, teams work around the clock, which pushes overall hours even higher.

Stress and Broader Implications

OpenAI President Greg Brockman has publicly shared details of his own 90-hour workweeks. Andrew Feldman, co-founder and CEO of Cerebras, has said he finds it strange to assume that a large-scale product can be built in just 38 hours per week.

Harvard Business School research scheduled to appear in 2026 shows that employees who finish tasks faster thanks to AI do not necessarily gain extra free time.

• According to the AI Work Institute, some workers save up to 11 hours each week through the use of AI.
• However, about 6.5 of those saved hours tend to be spent on configuring AI tools, keeping workflows running, and correcting mistakes.

It turns out that the time reclaimed through AI often gets redirected into handling a larger number of tasks rather than shrinking the workday.

The situation highlights a paradox at the heart of rapid AI development: rather than easing workloads and simplifying operations, many employees find themselves under even more pressure in a highly competitive landscape. It is worth noting that while AI can speed up certain tasks, that speed does not automatically translate into shorter working hours-raising serious questions about the sustainability of such conditions across the industry. This report adds to ongoing debates about how technological innovation should be balanced with the well-being of the people building it.

The intense work culture in the AI industry raises important questions about the long-term implications of automation. As companies push for rapid advancements, the reliance on AI tools has led to unexpected challenges, including the emergence of biases in hiring processes. Understanding these complexities is crucial for navigating the evolving landscape of AI-driven workplaces.