We could be working less, even without AI

The 40-hour work week has been the standard since around 1940(...)( or in some cases, even earlier - see Wikipedia's page on it for more details ). Since then, despite all the technological advancement - despite all the machines that are supposed to make things more efficient - we're still working just as many hours. What happened? To put it simply:

Instead of working less, the economy has been geared towards producing more discussion i.e. more goods and services.

Of course in moderation, economic growth can improve quality of life(...)( albeit inefficiently and unequally ), but in richer countries, this has already plateaued decades ago, all the while using more and more resources, harming the environment, raising the cost of living, and keeping people overworked. We can do better.

How:

• Reduce production WITHOUT sacrificing anyone's basic needs (or anything else that matters).