Bay Area tech job posting looking for people willing to work 6 days a week
The job posting for a 'Customer Service Engineer' at AI staffing startup Mercor lists 'willingness to work 6 days a week' at the top of qualifications for the job.
'We know this isn't for everyone, so we want to put it up top. We do work hard but also respect your work-life balance. This will not be negotiable,' the post reads.
When the posting was shared on Reddit, many users compared it to China's '996' work practice, which requires people to work from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. six days a week.
'It part of this whole 9-9-6 work culture thing thats trending in Silicon Valley, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 6 days a week. Founders really seem to be sniffing glue again,' one posted commented.
'I'd rather eat glass,' said another.
'I've only experienced this at Chinese run companies,' said another poster. 'China is where the 9-9-6 originated. But the companies that push it churn and burn over time.'
'That's like $34/hr. That's so not worth it,' said another.
However, taking only one day off a week doesn't appear to be a dealbreaker for everyone. The job, which is advertised as having a salary between $130,000 and $200,000, was posted late last week.
In the four days since it went live, 80 people have clicked apply, according to LinkedIn.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
An Apple robot will need a lot of AI help
Apple (AAPL) is reportedly planning a push into robotics as it continues its search for its next hit product. That includes developing a robotic arm outfitted with an iPad-like display and exploring wheeled and humanoid robots down the line, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The move could also bolster Apple's smart home efforts, which to this point have centered around its HomePod and HomePod mini. And while Apple has made some headway in robotics via prototypes and research, its prospects in the space could all come down to ensuring it has the AI chops to build a home robot that can understand and respond to requests. "It all falls back to how that voice-based interface works and how accurate it is, and that's the part that Apple has been arguably falling behind on," TECHnalysis founder and chief analyst Bob O'Donnell explained. Apple did not respond to a request for comment regarding the Bloomberg report. Apple has faced continuous criticism for delaying its AI-powered version of Siri from this year to sometime in 2026, leaving questions about the company's AI capabilities. According to Gurman, Apple is working on two new versions of Siri: one that runs on its own in-house AI model and another powered by third-party models. The company will eventually decide which of the two makes it into its products. But there's still no sense of when it will be ready for primetime. Still, if Apple is working on consumer robotics and can get the products to market, it has a good shot at winning over customers. "What I like about it is this is Apple doing what Apple does," explained Bill Ray, distinguished vice president analyst and chief of research at Gartner. "It takes existing technologies, often other people's technologies, and makes them elegant." AI will be key Part of Apple's robotics push will reportedly include a robotic arm with a display that Bloomberg said is similar to a research project Apple revealed in January. The project, called ELEGNT: Expressive and Functional Movement Design for Non-Anthropomorphic Robot, features a lamp-like design with a projector at the top that can act as a light or project video content onto a nearby surface. But the key to the arm is how it responds to user interaction. Rather than sharp, direct movements, the arm moves as if it's exhibiting emotion. For instance, it can lower its projector as if it's dropping its head to appear sad, and it can gently push a glass of water toward you to remind you to stay hydrated. The prototype uses both voice and gesture controls, allowing you to tell it to point to something or follow your hand movements toward an object. "We've been watching Apple very closely for a while," Ray said, adding that the prototype arm was fascinating. "As a vehicle to sort of re-energize Siri, bring Apple back into AI, I think it has real potential," he added. That will be an important part of any robotics effort for Apple. "[An Apple robot] is very much linked to their success around generative AI," BofA Global Research analyst Wamsi Mohan explained. "If you're trying to do a hands-free experience, voice has to be the main modality in which you converse." Apple could make an acquisition Another way for Apple to get ahead in robotics is to acquire a company with expertise in the space. "I absolutely cannot imagine that Apple can be successful in robotics without making an acquisition," Patrick Moorhead, CEO and chief analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, told Yahoo Finance. "I just don't see it as being in their core competency. So I think acquisition would be the only way you could convince me that they would be good at this," he added. Moorhead, for his part, doesn't consider the prototype a robot. Instead, he pointed to mobile devices with either wheels or legs. And getting there will take Apple some time. There's also still no telling how long it will take for in-home consumer robotics to be worthwhile. O'Donnell said there's no real reason to buy robots at the moment, outside of wanting them to serve as electronic maids. Wheeled robots are already a presence in US homes in the form of robotic vacuums that clean up dust and dirt without you having to push around a clunky traditional vacuum. But there are few examples of such robots outside of that. Amazon (AMZN) has its $1,599 Astro robot, designed to act as a kind of roving sentinel for your home and capable of carrying small accessories. However, it's part of the company's Day 1 Editions program, which means you have to sign up for an invitation to even buy one. Astro isn't exactly a must-have product, but Amazon's expertise in developing robots for its massive warehouses gives it a unique advantage in the robotics space. Amazon isn't the only company interested in robots. Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), Nvidia (NVDA), and others have all expressed interest in or are actively developing hardware or software for robots. Tesla (TSLA) is working on its own bipedal robots that it says consumers will eventually be able to purchase for their homes. All of that means Apple will have plenty of competition when its robots eventually hit store shelves. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
11 minutes ago
- Engadget
NVIDIA is reportedly developing an AI chip for China more powerful than the H20
NVIDIA is working on a new AI chip meant for the Chinese market that's more powerful than the H20, according to Reuters . It will reportedly be based on the company's latest Blackwell architecture, which can produce chips between seven and 30 times faster than its previous AI platform. Reuters says the product is tentatively named B30A and will have a single-die design, putting all its main components on a single piece of silicon. It will apparently be capable of half the computing power of NVIDIA's Blackwell Ultra GPUs, which have dual-die configuration. The product will also come with high-bandwidth memory and the company's NVLink technology for speedier data transmission between processors. It's possible that NVIDIA is developing the chip after the Chinese government discouraged local companies from using the H20, especially for government and national security purposes. Chinese regulators even reportedly ordered big tech corporations, including Alibaba, Bytedance and Tencent, to suspend their purchases from NVIDIA until the government is done with a national security review. China's warning to local companies came after the US government lifted its export restriction on the company's H20 chips. If you'll recall, the US blocked the company from selling its H20 chips to China back in April over concerns that the Chinese military could use the chips to develop AI technology. In July, NVIDIA announced that the government has assured the company that it will approve licenses to ship and export H20 chips to China. The Financial Times then reported in August that the government had agreed to grant NVIDIA (and AMP) export licenses in exchange for 15 percent of their profits. Reuters says NVIDIA is still finalizing the specs of B30A, but it's hoping to deliver samples to Chinese clients for testing as soon as September this year. Trump seems to already be aware that NVIDIA is working on a chip based on Blackwell for the Chinese market, but whether it gets regulatory and export approval remains to be seen: The president told reporters that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huan is "coming to see [him] again about that." If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
CNBC
11 minutes ago
- CNBC
Nvidia says it's evaluating a 'variety of products' after report of new AI China chip
Nvidia said Tuesday that it is evaluating several products following a report that the company is working on a new artificial intelligence chip for China that is more powerful than the currently available H20. The new product, tentatively called the B30A, is expected to be based on Nvidia's Blackwell chip architecture, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the company's plans. Nvidia hopes to deliver sample units to Chinese clients for testing as soon as next month, according to Reuters. "We evaluate a variety of products for our roadmap, so that we can be prepared to compete to the extent that governments allow," the company told CNBC in a statement. "Everything we offer is with the full approval of the applicable authorities and designed solely for beneficial commercial use." Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday praised Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and said he wouldn't be surprised if Huang wants to sell a new chip to China. "I'm sure he's pitching the president all the time," Lutnick said in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." "I've listened to him pitch the president, and the president listens to our great technology companies, and he'll decide how he wants to play it." Earlier this month, Nvidia and rival Advanced Micro Devices agreed to give the U.S. government a 15% cut of their sales in China, in exchange for being able to resume selling chips in the region. The Trump administration halted the sale of advanced computer chips to China in April over national security concerns. Nvidia built its Chinese-specific H20 chip after the Biden administration implemented export controls on AI chips in 2023, while AMD developed the MI308 chip for the Chinese market. President Donald Trump said last week that he originally requested 20% cut of Nvidia's sales, but that Huang negotiated the number down to 15%. Trump suggested at the time that he would be open to Nvidia selling a significantly scaled-down version of its advanced Blackwell chip in China. "It's possible I'd make a deal" on a "somewhat enhanced — in a negative way — Blackwell" processor, Trump said. "In other words, take 30% to 50% off of it."
