Last Updated:
Sergey Brin urged Google’s AI teams to work 60 hours per week from the office, calling it the “sweet spot of productivity” amid fierce competition in Artificial Intelligence.
Photos of the Google office (L)/Google’s co-founder Sergey Brin (R) (Source: AP)
Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, has urged his employees to work at least 60 hours per week from office, as the search giant faces heated competition from OpenAI, Meta, Elon Musk’s xAI and China-based DeepSeek.
According to The New York Times, Brin, in a memo posted internally on February 26, recommended being in the office at least every weekday.
“I recommend being in the office at least every weekday. Sixty hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity,” his message to employees who work on Gemini, Google’s lineup of Artificial Intelligence models and apps read.
“Competition has accelerated immensely and the final race to AGI is afoot,” he wrote.
“I think we have all the ingredients to win this race, but we are going to have to turbocharge our efforts,” Brin’s message further read.
Going by Brin’s message, his employees would have to work 12 hours a day from the office during weekdays.
The report also stated Brin blasted some Google employees for not doing enough to contribute.
“A number of folks work less than 60 hours and a small number put in the bare minimum to get by. This last group is not only unproductive but also can be highly demoralising to everyone else,” he mentioned.
According to the report, Google, since the 2022 launch of ChatGPT set off an artificial intelligence frenzy in Silicon Valley, has tried to reassert its role as an AI pioneer.
The report also suggested that Brin’s memo did not represent a change to Google’s official return-to-office policy, which requires employees to work in the office at least three days a week.
At present, Google requires its employees to be in the office at least three days per week.
Brin stepped down as Google’s chief in December 2019 but maintains a seat on its board of directors and has continued to play an active role in its AI development.
In January this year, L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan stirred a controversy after he, in an interaction with his employees, said that he would make them work even on Sundays if he could, advocating for a 90-hour work week.
“How long can you stare at your wife,” the L&T boss controversially asked, urging employees to spend less time at home and more in the office.
He suggested his employees should even give up Sundays.