Defining Work and Life

Companies have long sought to enhance employee productivity by reducing daily friction. This friction arises both in the execution of work itself and in the activities tangential to work such as commuting, eating, childcare, and laundry. Interestingly, medieval economies in Europe were organized around self-sufficient manors where life and work were inseparable. Similar models existed throughout the world, including in China and the Middle East. For most of human history, working was living.

That began to change in the nineteenth century. As new modes of transportation were adopted, including rail and later the automobile, white-collar workers gained the ability to live farther from where they worked. The expansion of highways accelerated this trend and gave rise to the modern commuter suburb. At the same time, advances in technology and economic systems raised living standards and created more discretionary time outside of work. Work and life began to evolve as distinct concepts. As that separation took hold, people increasingly perceived friction when work encroached on life.

In more recent decades, ambitious employers have sought to maximize employee engagement by reducing the tangential friction surrounding work. The technology sector has led this effort, developing campus environments where employees can address daily needs on site, from healthcare and childcare to meals and laundry.

The pandemic temporarily disrupted this trajectory, creating the largest separation between work and life ever experienced at scale. Today, however, the AI sector is once again redefining the relationship. With enormous stakes and a rapid pace of change, many AI companies are promoting an intense work culture, often embracing a 996 model in which employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days per week. Such a commitment leaves little room for life outside work and is incompatible with long commutes. It is therefore unsurprising to see some AI companies renting apartments to provide employees with housing close to the workplace.

These are unusual times. On one hand, many are experiencing a profound imbalance in which work dominates life. On the other, AI holds the promise of replacing labor at scale, potentially creating more free time than humanity has ever known. How this tension resolves is difficult to predict. For now, as we race toward an uncertain future, many are experiencing life as work once again, echoing patterns from long ago.