Artificial Intelligence Posed as a Peril to Women's Professions - Artificial Intelligence jeopardizing women's professional roles explained.
Artificial Intelligence Could Disproportionately Affect Women's Employment
In a recent study conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations and the Polish National Research Institute (NRI), it was revealed that 25% of all jobs worldwide are potentially threatened by advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the risk being significantly higher in wealthier countries. Moreover, the research indicates that women are more likely to be disproportionately affected by this technological shift.
The study suggests that the concentration of women in administrative and clerical roles, which are more susceptible to automation, is a major factor contributing to this gender gap. Between 2000 and 2019, over 90% of secretarial and administrative positions in the United States were held by women, with approximately 40% of women employed in these roles. These jobs perpetually ranked among the top five most common occupations.
The UN study also indicates that as more AI technologies become integrated into the workforce, administrative jobs — jobs that heavily rely on data processing and statistics — will be at higher risk of being replaced. On the other hand, jobs requiring emotional competencies and human creativity are less likely to be affected.
Despite these findings, the study's authors suggest that AI can be leveraged to enhance and simplify workers' tasks, rather than eliminating them entirely. As technological change continues to evolve, all workers may feel its impact, to varying degrees.
This disparity in AI's potential impact on gender roles could exacerbate existing gender inequalities, potentially leading to a wider gender pay gap and reduced job opportunities for women. As such, governments and organizations need to prioritize addressing these disparities by encouraging the responsible deployment of AI to improve productivity and job quality while establishing a more inclusive job market.
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Vocational training programs aimed at transitioning women from administrative roles to ones less susceptible to automation, such as vocational training for health-and-wellness positions or careers in science, could mitigate the disproportionate impact of artificial intelligence on women's employment. It's essential to consider the education-and-self-development opportunities in these emerging fields to promote career-development for all genders in the evolving labor market.
The integration of workplace-wellness programs alongside artificial intelligence could also potentially benefit both male and female workers, by offering proper support for the psychological and physical demands brought on by the transition period.
By focusing on community policy measures like encouraging the adoption of technology and AI in promoting health-and-wellness and aiding in broader education-and-self-development, we can help maintain a balanced and inclusive labor market in the face of artificial-intelligence advancements.
Addressing the gender disparities in the application of artificial intelligence with policies oriented towards an inclusive education-and-self-development landscape will be vital for women's continued career growth and participation in the scientific, technology, and artifical-intelligence fields.
