996 work culture spreading in Silicon Valley, researchers say

The "996" work schedule—working six days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.—has been well established in China and is starting to take hold in San Francisco, two AI researchers said on Lex Fridman's podcast. They warned the model is contributing to a more rigid, intense work culture in the Bay Area.

Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka said the competitive rush to advance AI models is pushing employees toward longer hours. Raschka noted the scene in Silicon Valley is not exactly the same as in China but is trending that way, and he attributed the grind to both passion and competition: "It's really hard because you have to deliver constantly." Lambert pointed to high-profile firms as examples of the high-pressure environment, saying, "That's what OpenAI and Anthropic are like," and that programmers often commit to the pace because they want to do the work.

United States, San Francisco Bay Area

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