The AI Race Is Accelerating. But What Does That Mean for Summer Vacation?
Sun’s out, laptops out.
Summer is traditionally the season of endless out-of-office replies, as workers across industries cash in on their hard-earned paid time off. But for the engineers and researchers locked in the white-hot AI race, the concept of a "summer break" is becoming increasingly complicated.
Miles Brundage, OpenAI’s former head of policy research, recently sparked a lively debate on X (formerly Twitter) about vacation habits within top AI labs. His post highlighted a growing tension: for employees chasing artificial general intelligence (AGI) or a blockbuster IPO, does a traditional European summer vacation still make sense?
The OpenAI vs. Anthropic Vacation Debate
Brundage’s observations prompted a mix of earnest reflection and playful banter among staffers at rival firms. One Anthropic employee proudly shared photos from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, prompting an OpenAI colleague to remark that it was "a sign that I should take some vacation."
Others were more candid about the gravitational pull of their work. Leo Gao, an OpenAI researcher, noted that as "someone who has always had a tendency to let my work consume my entire life," he has felt right at home in the company’s intense environment.
The thread also devolved into good-natured ribbing. OpenAI’s Jason Liu asked Anthropic’s Thariq Shihipar if he agreed with the push for more time off, to which Shihipar jokingly replied, "Aren't you always on vacation?"
Commenters soon expanded the discussion to include other industry heavyweights. Alex Imas, Google DeepMind’s director of AGI economics, quipped, "Having just transferred from academia, I'm still trying to figure out what this 'vacation' thing is." Meanwhile, angel investor Kevin Wimer pointed to the notoriously grueling reputation of Elon Musk’s ventures, joking, "Now do SpaceXAI. I don't think they sleep."
Despite the humor, Brundage emphasized that his underlying message was serious: "Rest is important!"
Hardcore Culture vs. The Reality of PTO
On paper, tech workers are well-equipped to take time off. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 95% of information workers have access to paid vacation. Furthermore, a 2025 Alliant survey of tech industry benefits found that companies offer an average of 19.8 days of paid time off (PTO).
Yet, accessing those days and actually using them are two different things. As the AI race grows faster and fiercer, some companies are actively cultivating "hardcore" work cultures. Anecdotes of software engineers adopting "996" schedules (working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) and abstaining from social vices to maximize productivity are becoming more common.
Under such immense pressure, booking a trip often falls to the bottom of the priority list. For many engineers, the hesitation isn't just about company culture; it’s a personal fear of falling behind. One AI developer described the experience of keeping up with the field as "drinking from a firehose, and the hose just keeps getting bigger."
Even at the top, work-life balance remains an elusive ideal. When asked about time off in 2018, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted he was a "bad example of work-life balance."
"I do try to take vacation," Altman said at the time. "But the rest of the time, I just work."
As the race for AI supremacy continues to intensify, the industry may soon have to decide whether sustainable innovation requires sustainable rest—or if the sprint to the future will continue to demand every waking hour.