US startups adopt 996 schedule, pushing 72-hour workweeks amid AI race
Several US startups, especially those developing AI, are demanding employees work 996 hours—9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. That’s 72 hours weekly, nearly double the standard 40. The practice is borrowed from China’s intense work culture, despite its controversial ties to protests and accusations of “modern slavery” there.
The 996 grind is no minor trend anymore. Adrian Kinnersley, an entrepreneur in staffing and employment compliance, says it’s “becoming increasingly common.” Some companies outright require candidates to commit to 996 before even interviewing. 
At the start of the pandemic, US tech talked about burnout and flexible schedules. Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way. Elon Musk’s push for “extremely hardcore” work at X echoes through these firms.
Rilla, an AI startup with 80 employees, openly demands the 996 grind. Their job listings warn candidates to skip applying if they aren’t “excited” for 70+ hour weeks. They provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily—including Saturdays.
Will Gao, Rilla’s head of growth, explained their culture:
“There’s a really strong and growing subculture of people, especially in my generation—Gen Z—who grew up listening to stories of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, entrepreneurs who dedicated their lives to building life-changing companies,”
“Kobe Bryant dedicated all his waking hours to basketball, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people saying that Kobe Bryant shouldn’t have worked as hard as he did.”
AI logistics startup Sotira CEO Amrita Bhasin says Bay Area founders often adopt 996 in early years. She calls it “mandatory” for company leaders but thinks pushing regular employees that hard is unfair:
“The first two years of your startup, you kind of have to do 996,”
“I don’t think it’s fair to push it onto them.”
US startups are racing to compete globally in AI, and the 996 culture is their answer—even if it sparks backlash about worker health and burnout.
