Once upon a time, Google was the promised land for tech workers — due to perks, stability and flexible working hours. Now its layoffs, overhours, and a consistent growing sense that AI might be coming for their jobs — and Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, is putting on more pressure, encouraging the adoption of a 60 hours workweek instead of 40, Business Insider reports.

He claims that 60 hours “is the sweet spot of productivity,” believing that those who put in less hours are putting in the bare minimum. Slackers — as he chooses to describe them — are “not only unproductive but also can be highly demoralizing to everyone else.”

The timing is interesting… Google has laid off over 13k employees in recent years despite ranking in USD 26.3 bn in profit last October. They have been scrapping full-time roles, pouring the costs saved into AI, a move that makes the ‘work harder’ statement feel almost self destructive, considering he wants the extra 20 hours to go towards developing the very AI threatening employee job security.

Brin framed his push as necessary for Google to keep up in the last stretch in the Artificial General Intelligence race. AGI, the technological holy grail, is marketed to be as smart as humans, and pushed as a competent assistant rather than what AI has been so far — a replacement. But despite the USD bns being thrown at it, progress towards manifesting the tech isn’t accelerating — but its fantasy promise is enough to keep the investors locked in and employees working overtime to make it happen.

While 60 may be a magic number to Brin, science begs to differ. Research from the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that working more than 55 hours a week raises the risk of heart diseases by 17% and the risk of a stroke by 35%. It also increases stress levels, messes with sleep, and — ironically — tanks productivity in the long run.

Beyond physical health, there’s a serious mental toll. Chronic overwork spikes cortisol levels, leading to anxiety, burnout, and decision fatigue. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you grumpy — it’s linked to obesity, diabetes, and long term cognitive decline. In other words, those extra hours might not be worth the trade off, especially for something that’s nowhere near being created (and might cost you your job).

This comes alongside a slate of questionable policy changes at Google. Brin was notably present at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration alongside many of his Silicon Valley cohorts. Shortly after, Google updated its AI principles page, quietly removing its previous ban on using AI for weapons and surveillance. A drastic change in tune from 2018, one year before Brin’s return, when the company made a point of publicly refusing to participate in military projects. This policy shift raises questions about Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a cloud contract with Israel that benefits military operations.

Google isn’t alone: Silicon Valley’s bn’aires, from Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerburg, have been cozying up to the right-wing administration while shaping the future on their own terms. The tech industry’s idealistic origins have given way to something much darker — a consolidation of influence that prioritizes control over accountability.

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