Narayana Murthy's 70-hr work week vs Bill Gates' 3-day work-week: Shashi Tharoor has a solution, know what

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, in a recent podcast with TV Mohandas Pai, suggested that the Indian youth should commit to working 70 hours per week to contribute to the nation's growth. This statement sparked debates on social media, with some supporting and others criticising it.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, on the other hand, proposed a three-day work-week through the intervention of artificial intelligence, emphasising that the purpose of life extends beyond work.

Now, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor weighed in on this debate, suggesting that Murthy and Gates collaborate to find a middle ground. Tharoor shared on X (formerly Twitter), "Bill Gates says a three-day work-week ought to be possible.' In other words, if Mr Gates and Mr Narayana Murthy sit down together and work out a compromise, we will end up exactly where we are, with a five-day work week!"

“@BillGates says a three-day work-week ought to be possible”. In other words, if Mr Gates and Mr Narayana Murthy sit down together and work out a compromise, we will end up exactly where we are, with a five-day work week!https://t.co/2Id9GEf1KC

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 26, 2023

Following this, Tharoor's comment has gone viral on social media.

What had Bill Gates said?

During a podcast with comedian Trevor Noah, Gates expressed that judicious use of AI could offer individuals currently working over five days a week more leisure time. He envisioned a future where, thanks to AI, humans might not have to exert themselves as extensively in their work.

"If you eventually get a society where you only have to work three days a week, that's probably OK," Gates said, adding that there could be a world where "machines can make all the food and the stuff," and people don't have to work a five day-plus work week to earn a living wage.