What Is 996 Work Schedule and Why It’s Ringing Alarm Bells in America’s Tech Industry

Silicon Valley, once known for its great work-life balance and employee-friendly culture, is now seeing a major shift. Some American tech companies, especially AI startups, are adopting China’s controversial '996' work schedule 12 hours a day, six days a week. Once popular but later abandoned in China due to worker burnout, this model is sparking debate in the U.S. over whether businesses are putting profits ahead of employee health.

What Is the 996 Work Schedule?

According to a Forbes report, some AI startups in the U.S. are changing their working methods. They are adopting the '9-9-6' work schedule, under which employees have to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. They must come to the office six days a week, from Monday to Saturday. This schedule was once very popular in China, where employees faced multiples health problems due to work pressure. In some cases, workers even died because of the extreme stress.

The Growing Trend of 70-Hour Workweeks

Many might think this trend is just a rumor because the U.S. is known for a good work culture. However, a recent job posting from Rilla, an AI startup based in San Francisco, reveals the reality. Along with announcing job vacancies, the company stated, If you are not ready to work 70 hours a week, then do not apply. This means companies want employees to be mentally prepared for such heavy workloads.

Why Is the 996 Work Culture Being Adopted?

The main reason for such long working hours is the intense competition in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The U.S. wants to overtake China in the AI race at any cost. Recently, China’s DeepSeek AI developed a model that rivaled major American companies like OpenAI and Google DeepMind. This competition has caused upheaval in Silicon Valley, where companies believe that only by working longer hours can they match the challenge.

Some believe that adopting the 996 schedule is essential to winning the AI race. Venture capitalist Harry Stebbings even said that 996 is outdated and that if someone wants to build a billion-dollar company, they should adopt the '007' work schedule. Under this, one has to work from midnight to midnight, seven days a week. This is why many companies in Silicon Valley are no longer concerned about work-life balance.