Many business leaders say AI will let employees work less. Zoom’s Eric Yuan hopes for four-day workweeks soon. JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon expects three and a half days. Bill Gates imagines just two days. Elon Musk dreams of work becoming optional with universal income. But these bright visions face a harsh reality. Despite big investments, many companies see no real productivity gains from AI yet. Even if productivity rises, workers likely won’t get more pay. Historically, pay hasn’t kept up with productivity growth. The four-day week may mean four days' pay, and fewer workdays could mean less income. Economist John Maynard Keynes predicted less work and more leisure by 2030. But inequality is growing, and technology may widen this gap. AI can produce many goods, but who will afford them if jobs vanish? The key issue is who controls the rewards of productivity. Without worker power or strong unions, most AI benefits may go to owners. Only political action, like fair laws or new labor parties, can change this. For now, don’t buy the hype that AI will automatically give workers more free time. The fight is to share AI’s wealth fairly. - Robert Reich, former US labor secretary and policy professor.