Artificial Intelligence Imperils Women's Professions - AI Posing Risk to Female Employment Due to Advanced Automation and Gender Bias Algorithms
Artificial Intelligence and Women in the Workforce: A Looming Concern
In the budding era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), industry experts foresee an exponential growth. This technological advancement, holding equal parts promise and concern, could potentially take over several jobs in the future, rendering some workers obsolete. A recent study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Polish National Research Institute (NRI) sheds light on the potential gender disparities in this tech-driven job market.
The study unveils that approximately 25% of all jobs are threatened by AI developments, with the risk being significantly higher in wealthy countries, at 34%. A stark revelation lies in the gender gap: women face three times the likelihood of losing their jobs to AI compared to men.
One might question how this aligns with the fact that women are more often engaged in care jobs such as childcare, elderly, or nursing care. Will AI-driven robots eventually take over these social tasks? While AI-powered robots are part of daily life in nursing homes in Asia, the UN study debunks this assumption. Instead, it is administrative jobs that are most likely to face market disruption.
According to the US Census Bureau, over 90% of secretarial and administrative positions between 2000 and 2019 were held by women, constituting more than 40% of women's employment during that period. These jobs rank among the top five most common occupations, making them prime targets for AI-driven efficiency improvements.
The study further reveals that jobs involving extensive data processing and statistics are more susceptible to automation by AI. roles requiring emotional competencies, however, show significantly less risk of replacement. Human creativity is unlikely to be replaced by technology initially.
The authors of the study suggest that, rather than fearing AI, workers should view it as a tool to facilitate and improve their work. After all, technological advancement will inevitably impact everyone, though the degree may vary.
Artificial IntelligenceWomenAdministrativeTechnological ChangeEmployment
The study's findings underscore the need for proactive policymaking and organizational initiatives to mitigate the intensifying gender gap in the AI-driven workforce. Ensuring women are not left behind in the technological transition and promoting equitable access to AI-augmented roles will be crucial in navigating this new employment landscape.
[1] United Nations Report on Artificial Intelligence and Gender Equality[2] McKinsey & Company, "Jobs lost, jobs gained: What the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages"[3] World Economic Forum, "The Future of Jobs Report 2020"[4] PwC, "Artificial intelligence: theLT; effect on gender inequality"[5] International Monetary Fund, "Digitalization and labor: a review of the literature"
- The study suggests that policymakers should enact proactive community policies to mitigate the escalating gender gap in the AI-driven workforce, focusing on ensuring women are not left behind in the technological transition.
- In light of the revelation that women face three times the likelihood of losing their jobs to AI compared to men, promoting equitable access to AI-augmented roles will be essential in navigating the new employment landscape.
- Recognizing the risk of automation in jobs involving extensive data processing and statistics, investment in vocational training for women, particularly in areas less susceptible to AI replacement, such as roles requiring emotional competencies, may be paramount.
- As technological advancement continues to impact employment, there is a growing need for organizations to prioritize workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness initiatives, ensuring they support and adapt to the changing needs of their workforce, particularly women who may be disproportionately affected by technological change.
- In the context of the potential disproportionate impact of AI on women's employment, understanding the intersection between personal-finance, business, and technology, such as the role of artificial intelligence in the future of financial services, becomes increasingly important for women's economic empowerment and professional development.
