Silicon Valley AI Startups Embrace Controversial 72-Hour Work Weeks

Silicon Valley’s race for AI dominance has resurrected China’s notorious “996” work culture—9 AM to 9 PM, six days weekly—as startups demand 72-hour weeks from employees. This brutal schedule, now screening job candidates at multiple firms according to recruitment expert Adrian Kinnersley, reflects the industry’s feverish competition. With $104.3 billion flooding AI ventures in early 2024 alone, startups pressure workers to convert investments into market share. “It’s becoming increasingly common,” Kinnersley told Wired, noting 996 prerequisites during hiring. For Gen Z developers like Will Gao of AI startup Rilla, the grind channels legends of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Yet beneath this “hustle culture” lies a human crisis threatening diversity, health, and the very promise of AI-driven liberation.

The Relentless Engine of AI Ambition

Massive capital injections—$104.3 billion in H1 2024 per industry reports—fuel cutthroat competition among AI firms. Startups battle rivals and tech giants while racing Chinese AI advancements, creating a “build fast or die” mentality. Staffing agencies now explicitly filter candidates by 996 willingness, a practice Kinnersley confirms is spreading. This schedule mirrors historical Silicon Valley extremes like Microsoft’s “velvet sweatshops,” rebranded for Gen Z. “My generation grew up idolizing entrepreneurs who dedicated their lives to world-changing companies,” Rilla’s Gao explained to Wired. But unlike 1980s tech booms, today’s AI workloads intersect with advanced surveillance tools that monitor productivity, intensifying burnout risks.

Sacrificing Well-Being at Automation’s Altar

The 996 model devastates work-life balance, disproportionately excluding caregivers—particularly women, who comprise just 35% of U.S. STEM roles per National Science Foundation data. Physical and mental health impacts are mounting: studies by the World Health Organization link >55-hour workweeks to 35% higher stroke risk. Ironically, AI—touted as a solution to workplace drudgery—is built by engineers facing machine-like demands. “We’re creating tools meant to free humans from soul-crushing labor while enduring those same conditions,” said one anonymous developer. Critics warn this culture risks regulatory scrutiny, mirroring China’s 2021 crackdown on 996 practices after employee fatalities.

The AI revolution’s foundation—72-hour work weeks—threatens sustainability and ethics. As startups chase trillion-dollar valuations, human costs mount: eroded diversity, broken health, and hypocrisy in automating “soul-crushing” jobs while perpetuating them. Silicon Valley must reconcile innovation with humanity before burnout becomes its legacy.

Must Know

What is the 996 work schedule?
The 996 model requires employees to work 9 AM–9 PM, six days weekly, totaling 72 hours. Originating in China’s tech sector, it’s now proliferating in U.S. AI startups amid fierce competition. Critics equate it with worker exploitation due to extreme hours and minimal rest.

Why are AI companies adopting 72-hour weeks?
Pressure to lead the $104.3 billion AI investment race drives adoption. Startups compete against tech giants and Chinese firms, using grueling schedules to accelerate development. Staffing agencies confirm 996 is becoming a hiring filter for AI roles.

How does 996 impact diversity in tech?
Long hours exclude caregivers—primarily women—who manage household responsibilities. With women representing only 35% of STEM workers (NSF 2023), 996 risks reducing gender diversity further and narrowing the talent pipeline.

Are 72-hour work weeks legal?
In California, non-exempt employees earn overtime beyond 8 hours daily or 40 hours weekly. However, many AI roles are salaried “exempt” positions, permitting longer hours without overtime pay—a loophole enabling 996 adoption.

What’s the irony in AI’s work culture?
AI promises to eliminate repetitive human labor, yet its creators face dehumanizing hours. This contradiction highlights ethical concerns about “liberating” technology built through worker exploitation.