Women are facing a one-two punch from generative AI. As the technology becomes more commonplace, so do the issues surrounding its rise. Women’s jobs are more likely to be affected by AI’s growth, research shows, and it could lead to further gender disparity. However, tackling the problem early could lead to women’s career ascension instead.
How are women’s jobs being affected?
Women are more likely to have their jobs replaced by generative AI, and they are slower to adopt AI technology into their work. Eight out of ten women in the workforce are in “occupations highly exposed to generative AI automation,” compared to six out of ten men, said a 2023 analysis by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. “Overall, 21% more women are exposed to AI automation than men even though men outnumber women in the workforce.”
This is because women predominantly hold some of the top jobs being replaced by AI, like administrative and clerical work. In addition, in jobs that are not being replaced, but rather augmented with AI, women are more reluctant to use the technology than men, according to a working paper by Harvard Business School. “Even when the opportunity to use ChatGPT was equalized, women were less likely to engage with the tool, which we think is pretty shocking,” said Rembrand Koning, an associate professor at Harvard Business School and co-author of the paper, in a statement.
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Historic misogyny in the workplace likely plays a large role in the disparity. “Women face greater penalties in being judged as not having expertise in different fields,” Koning said. “They might be worried that someone would think even though they got the answer right, they ‘cheated’ by using ChatGPT.” The consequences of this could lead to women being less productive, thus putting their jobs at risk. An AI revolution lacking women’s voices altogether could also prove to be a problem. AI has been shown to perpetuate society’s inequality.
How can the disparity be fixed?
The loss of women’s jobs to AI “aligns with broader AI-related disparities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and employment,” said the World Economic Forum. “Already, too many women are lost in the transition from STEM degrees to their first job in the STEM workforce.” AI does have the potential to create new jobs as well, but they have a higher likelihood of being male-dominated. Specialized technology training could be the key to getting more women involved in developing AI.
For now, the generative AI boom is being “shaped in ways that don’t fully reflect the diversity of society, leaving women underrepresented in the jobs and leadership roles of the future,” said the World Economic Forum. “Yet this moment offers a rare opportunity to course-correct.” While some careers are at risk because of AI, others are on the rise. Approximately one in five women are opting to switch jobs as knowledge of AI increases their prospects, according to a survey conducted by IT management company Ensono. “Many women are taking active roles in training and mentoring their colleagues on the technology,” Meredith Graham, Ensono’s chief people officer, said to CIO Dive.
“The intersection of AI, automation and gender presents a complex and urgent challenge,” said Anne Theunissen, a research officer at The Inclusion Initiative at the London School of Economics. “While increasing productivity may be enticing, the effects on women cannot be dismissed.”
