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submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/news@lemmy.world

In the note, shared internally and viewed by the New York Times, Brin urges staff working on Google’s Gemini AI projects to put in long hours to help the company lead the race in artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Some have praised Brin’s commitment to pushing the company’s success, but others argue that his approach reflects an outdated and harmful mindset.

“The hustle-centric 60-hour week isn’t productivity—it’s burnout waiting to happen,” wrote workplace mental health educator Catherine Eadie in a post shared by LinkedIn’s news editors.

Others said they feel that hard work is essential for success, with a COO of a business analytics business writing, “Brin is just being honest—successful people have always put in long hours."

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[-] varnia@lemm.ee 5 points 34 minutes ago

We are slowly shifting to a 4x8=32h work week here. 60h long term has nothing to do with productivity anymore.

[-] AdamBomb@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 19 minutes ago

Last summer there were a bunch of stories reporting findings that companies that experimented with a 4-day work week saw productivity gains over the traditional 5-day, so this billionaire’s opinion sounds out of alignment with reality

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 3 points 28 minutes ago* (last edited 27 minutes ago)

Ahh, the typical manager misconception. Nope. Long work hours don't equal high productivity.

But I can understand that misconception, as it takes those people up there many more hours to get a single useful idea compared to those under them who actually do the work and earn the money.

[-] canajac@lemmy.ca 1 points 7 minutes ago

Another B$ telling us how we should live. How about fawking off Sergey!

[-] RetroSoul@lemmy.world 2 points 46 minutes ago

I'd be down to work the 60hrs if it was voluntary overtime. But constantly? Probably not.

[-] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 hour ago

"Arbeit macht frei."

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 10 points 2 hours ago

I'm sorry that Sergey Brin apparently doesn't have hobbies or family/friends that care about him, but 60 is still wrong. We have computers and work multipliers and have perfected efficiency... We don't need to spend the majority of our lives toiling anymore! Some would argue against 40, but at least that gives a balanced workday: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of leisure. And I say all that as someone who actually likes their job...

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 hour ago

Commuting should be included in the 8 hour work day. I shouldn't have to give up some of my leisure time to drive to work.

This would also incentivize denser cities.

[-] boonhet@lemm.ee 1 points 1 hour ago

Commuting should be included in the 8 hour work day

This would also incentivize denser cities.

How come? You'd be paid the same regardless, be away from home for the same time regardless; suddenly it makes sense to move further away from work.

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 1 points 57 minutes ago

Because you won't get hired if they have to pay you to drive longer hours. Employers would be incentivized to hire locally.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 2 points 1 hour ago

Not to brag, but it is for me! But I'm also not paid a large amount. And it absolutely should be for everyone...

[-] OmarDontScare@lemmy.world 12 points 2 hours ago

Well, if Sergey Brin wants to work 60 hour weeks, be my guest. Sounds like a good idea for the CEO class, since they should really justify what they're paid.

[-] boonhet@lemm.ee 1 points 1 hour ago

Sounds like a good idea for the CEO class

Mate, he's a class or two ABOVE the CEO class. He's in the "trillionaire soon maybe?" class where you don't get to be by just being a CEO, you have to own major stock in a massively overvalued company that just keeps on growing.

He should be working at LEAST 50000 hour weeks to justify his continued growth of wealth at this point. Why the lazy bastard isn't doing it is beyond me.

[-] Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

And plus they say that they do all of the work, remember?

[-] thingAmaBob@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago

I thought 6 hours per days were best? Also, where I work, we’ve gone through voluntary overtime, working 60 hour weeks. People start to look like zombies and are more prone to mistakes by week three. It is simply not sustainable.

[-] ThomasCrappersGhost@feddit.uk 3 points 1 hour ago

I was gonna say after a few weeks of 60 hour weeks I’d be fucked. Didn’t realise that was legit.

[-] meowmeowbeanz@sopuli.xyz 14 points 6 hours ago

Irony alert: pushing humans harder while building AI to replace them—brilliant strategy, Sergey.

😾

[-] pyre@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago

people like this shouldn't be allowed to finish their sentences on their own terms. it should be cut short by an extreme force.

[-] Nunar@lemmy.world 12 points 8 hours ago

Has there ever been a better call to eat the rich?!

[-] chramies@lemmy.world 8 points 7 hours ago

Only if it's for two people - 30 hours each!

[-] hark@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

When is technology going to make our lives better?

[-] thisphuckinguy@lemmy.world 11 points 11 hours ago

Sergi can eat donkey dick.

[-] drascus@sh.itjust.works 6 points 11 hours ago
[-] Yeller_king@reddthat.com 28 points 17 hours ago

I honestly think it's more like 30. If we're all just making numbers up.

[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 17 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Outside of the google office would be a sweet spot for a guillotine.

[-] DegenerationIP@lemmy.world 22 points 17 hours ago

Lol. Yeah. Shut up. Its not. Proven not.

[-] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 22 points 18 hours ago

double the salary is also a very sweet spot for productivity

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 13 points 18 hours ago

Google

---Do most harm---

[-] TheChickenOfDoom@lemm.ee 17 points 20 hours ago

What a pile of human garbage.

[-] UnsavoryMollusk@lemmy.world 9 points 18 hours ago

Does he hate social relationships and his family or something?

[-] el_bhm@lemm.ee 6 points 16 hours ago

Our? Yes.

His, probably not.

[-] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 17 points 21 hours ago

60/5=12/day 8/day for sleep Let's say it takes me an hour each way to get to and from the office. Maybe 1hr for dinner

Now I have 1 hour/day to do everything else I need to do? How did this guy invent Google?

[-] Wav_function@lemmy.world 7 points 16 hours ago

You don't have staff to clean your house, cook your food, take care of your kids, pay your bills?

What are you some kind of poor?

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

You sleep at the office or work 6 or 7 days. People aren't often doing 60 hour weeks by working 12x5 and then 2 off.

Edit: Google even has those sleeping pods!

[-] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 6 points 19 hours ago

Ah, my bad.

So just have to do 50% more work for no additional pay, give up one of the two days I get to spend with my kids and require me to incur additional expenditure on childcare.

And he's suggesting this to quite possibly the most employable software developers on the planet? Kinda sounds like a fucking moron.

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Kids? They don't want you. They want childless people who they can work for the 60h or more a week.

[-] ThomasCrappersGhost@feddit.uk 1 points 1 hour ago

And they want to blame you for not having kids.

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

This. The ageism in the IT industry is legendary. The joke that dumbass Big Balls/ The Carver character (same thing) said about the other being 27 (like that was ancient) is very much a thing.

[-] Triasha@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago

60 hours is the sweet spot for maximal control over your employees life with only the normal amount of suicides.

[-] x00z@lemmy.world 17 points 23 hours ago

If you are a CEO, sure. But if you are not then it's quite the opposite.

If only these capitalist pigs could put themselves in the shoes of others.

[-] madjo@feddit.nl 8 points 22 hours ago

As a sufferer of Long Covid, Sergey Brin can suck my ass. Any company can deem themselves lucky if I manage to make 40 a week. There's more to life than work, and it's not like they'll pay you for those extra 20 hours.

[-] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 day ago

Did that guy ever work anywhere else?

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

JFC, and with the assholes in the government in collusion with these fuckers, they are likely to be able to make it mandatory.

The 4 day workweek is likely more optimal for humans, at least until we are post-scarcity.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Hurry! Before they change president and figure out all the data we stole from everyone during this glorious time!

[-] pageflight@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago

Classic correlation v. causation. The sweet spot for productivity is believing in and wanting to do your work. For some people, this motivates them to spend tons of time working. For some people, this boueys then to high productivity even while exercising great work life balance and avoiding burnout.

Google used to know this, and spend huge amounts of effort and resources on trust, enjoyment, innovation. Now that's something to find at other companies.

[-] Dvixen@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago

Spoken to someone who might work 60 minutes a week.

He can get fucked by his 60 hour work week. Sideways.

[-] ARotePleaseBob@lemmy.world 136 points 1 day ago

Why? Fuck me, that’s like a 12 hour day over a 5 day week. No-one is doing productive 12 hours day for very long, so he’s basically just arguing for an adult version of fucking daycare here.

[-] underwire212@lemm.ee 6 points 21 hours ago

Well yeah. If you’re at the office that long, you’ll be too tired to do anything else like protest, organize, live life, etc.

[-] chramies@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

My thoughts also. Totalitarian regimes make people work all the time so they're too burned-out and disorientated to rebel.

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this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2025
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