Every technological revolution has promised to change the way we work—making labor more efficient and reducing the burden of effort. And to some extent, history has proven this to be true. Over time, people have worked fewer total hours because new technologies allow them to produce the same or even greater output with less effort.
However, this decline in work hours doesn’t happen immediately. In fact, after major technological breakthroughs, work hours often increase before they eventually correct and decrease. The Industrial Revolution saw a drastic rise in working hours as factory labor demanded more from workers, before eventually correcting as machines and labor laws enabled shorter hours with sustained productivity. The IT Revolution followed a similar pattern; while computers and the internet made work faster, they also led to an initial spike in work hours as businesses adjusted to an always-connected world. But over time, efficiency gains allowed people to reduce their total work hours while still meeting productivity expectations.
This pattern suggests a consistent dynamic: new technologies demand more from workers at first but ultimately lead to a natural reduction in work hours because people prefer to work less when they can still produce satisfying outcomes.
The 10-70-20 Distribution of Effort: A Persistent Balance
Even as work hours fluctuate across technological revolutions, effort itself remains distributed in a familiar pattern. I propose the 10-70-20 Distribution of Effort as a framework for understanding how work balances itself.
Roughly 10% of people operate at a high-efficiency level, driving a significant portion of productivity. 70% contribute at a medium effort level, doing enough to maintain the system without pushing beyond what is necessary. The remaining 20% put in minimal effort, contributing the least and often requiring motivation or external pressure to perform.
This pattern isn’t based on research data but rather on observation. No matter how much technology improves efficiency, people tend to settle into this distribution. What changes over time is not the ratio of effort, but the total time spent working—which decreases as technology enables people to get more done with less effort. This satisfies both the capitalist system (which benefits from sustained or increased productivity) and the human tendency to work less whenever possible.
Historical Context: The Rise and Fall of Work Hours
Across history, every major technological revolution has resulted in both an initial increase and a long-term decrease in work hours.
The Industrial Revolution mechanized production, but rather than immediately reducing labor, it initially increased the number of hours workers were required to be in factories. Over time, however, productivity gains allowed businesses to meet demand with fewer hours, and labor movements pushed for shorter workdays, leading to the modern 8-hour workday.
The IT Revolution introduced computers, automation, and the internet, making work more efficient. But at first, this also led to longer work hours—email, remote access, and digital communication blurred the lines between work and personal life. It wasn’t until efficiency gains stabilized that businesses began experimenting with reduced work schedules, such as four-day workweeks and remote flexibility, without a loss in productivity.
What these examples show is that technological progress initially asks for more labor but later allows for the same or better outcomes with fewer hours. The driving force behind this correction is simple: people naturally prefer to work less if they can still meet expectations, and once businesses see that shorter work hours do not reduce output, they adapt accordingly.
AI and the Future of Work: More Free Time, But Still Work
Now, with AI poised to reshape industries, the same question arises: Will this technology finally make work obsolete?
If history is any indication, AI will likely increase work expectations in its early stages. As companies race to integrate AI, workers may find themselves working longer hours, adapting to new AI-driven systems, and taking on additional responsibilities that AI enables. However, just like past revolutions, this demand will eventually stabilize. AI’s ability to automate tasks, optimize workflows, and analyze vast amounts of data will make it possible to achieve the same or greater output with less time spent working.
Once this transition period passes, we are likely to see a continued decline in total work hours, just as happened after the Industrial and IT Revolutions. AI will allow the workforce to maintain productivity while working less, because the system will still be satisfied as long as the output remains high.
What will not change is how effort is distributed. The 10-70-20 balance will persist, ensuring that while work may require fewer hours, it will still exist. High-efficiency individuals will use AI to maximize their output, the majority will adapt to AI’s capabilities to maintain a comfortable equilibrium, and the lowest-effort group will continue contributing minimally, though AI may enhance their efficiency.
In other words, AI will not eliminate work, but rather redistribute it in a way that allows for more free time while maintaining overall productivity.
The 0.01% Exception: Those Who Never Slow Down
Although most people adjust their effort based on technological efficiency gains, there is a rare exception—a group I call the 0.01%.
These individuals consistently outperform everyone else, regardless of technological advancements. Unlike the rest of the workforce, they do not have a natural tendency to reduce their workload when given the opportunity. Instead, they see efficiency gains as a way to do even more, not as a reason to take more time off.
Historically, these individuals have been pioneers, innovators, and leaders. They are the ones who drive technological progress forward, not because they are forced to, but because they are internally driven to push boundaries. While the rest of society benefits from shorter work hours, this group continues to work just as hard—leveraging new tools to reach even greater heights.
They do not disrupt the 10-70-20 balance, but they exist outside of it as an outlier force that influences progress in ways others do not.
Conclusion: Work Won’t Disappear, But It Will Keep Shrinking
The AI revolution will follow the same pattern as past technological shifts. Work hours will likely increase at first as industries and workers adjust to new demands, but eventually, the efficiency gains AI provides will lead to a natural reduction in work hours. This has happened before with the Industrial and IT Revolutions, and AI will likely continue this trend.
Ultimately, AI will allow workers to achieve more with fewer hours, satisfying the capitalist system by maintaining productivity while allowing people to work less. The 10-70-20 framework will remain unchanged—effort will still be distributed across different levels, even as work itself requires less total time.
For most people, AI will enable more free time while maintaining economic stability. For the 0.01%, AI will be yet another tool to accelerate their relentless pursuit of progress.
Technology doesn’t dictate how much people work—human nature does. AI, like past innovations, will let us work less, but it will not remove work entirely. Instead, it will shift what work looks like and how much time we spend doing it.
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