OpenAI Proposes Four-Day Week and Robot Taxes in AI Future Plan

OpenAI has outlined a broad vision for how economies could adapt to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, including proposals for a four-day working week, taxes on automated labour, and a public wealth fund.

The plan centres on how to distribute the benefits of AI more evenly, as the technology is expected to reshape jobs, industries, and economic structures. OpenAI warns that as AI systems take on more work, traditional sources of income and taxation could decline, particularly those tied to human labour.

One of the most notable ideas is a public wealth fund, which would invest in AI-driven industries and return profits directly to citizens. The aim is to ensure that the financial gains from automation are shared more widely, rather than concentrated among a small number of companies or investors.

The company has also suggested introducing taxes on automated systems, sometimes referred to as “robot taxes”, to help offset potential job losses and maintain funding for public services.

Another key proposal is the introduction of a four-day working week without reducing pay. The idea is that increased productivity from AI could allow people to work fewer hours while maintaining the same standard of living.

Alongside these measures, OpenAI highlights the need for stronger safety nets, updated tax systems, and greater access to AI tools, as economies transition into what it describes as a new “intelligence age”.

The proposals reflect growing concern across the tech industry about the long-term impact of artificial intelligence on employment and inequality. While AI is expected to drive significant productivity gains, it also raises questions about how those gains will be distributed.

OpenAI’s vision does not represent a fixed plan, but rather a starting point for discussion among governments, businesses, and the public as societies adapt to increasingly advanced AI systems.

Author: Kieran Seymour