AI really could shift the locus of life and meaning away from work, but we must have vision and daring to make it happen
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s the AI revolution heralds a new dawn – or living nightmare – in the world of work, I find my thoughts turning increasingly to Kellogg’s. Yes, the cereal company, and not just because cereal is all I have time to eat in between my many jobs.
The Kellogg’s factory in Battle Creek, Michigan, was where, in the early 20th century, the dream of a world free of work and rich in recreation first took off – and even, for a few brief shining years, soared. In 1930, the “managed work reduction” movement – seeking to take advantage of the productivity gains enabled by automation to usher in a golden age of leisure – found an influential champion in WK Kellogg.
Intrigued by the utopian possibilities, Kellogg opted to shorten his factory’s workday from eight hours to six, and increased daily shifts from three to four. The 30-hour working week was widely taken up by US business leaders as a smart and progressive strategy – not just protecting against the threat of mass unemployment caused by mechanisation, but also spreading the benefits. Forbes magazine reported the following year that “thinking men in industry are saying … ‘Shorter hours for men and longer hours for machines’.”
