A new report from the US National Partnership for Women & Families says women may face disproportionate disruption from
artificial intelligence in the workforce.
The study found that while women make up about 47 percent of the US workforce, they account for 83 percent of workers across 15 occupations identified as having the highest exposure to AI.Those roles include secretaries, receptionists, and office clerks, among others. According to the
report, around 6 million women work in these positions.
Researchers said workers in these jobs may face greater challenges adapting to AI-related workplace changes due to lower access to resources and reduced flexibility in transitioning to other roles. The report also looked at sectors where women are more heavily represented but less likely to face full automation, including nursing, childcare, and home health care, in addition to others.
While these jobs typically require direct human interaction and physical presence, the study said AI could still affect workers in those fields through monitoring and workplace management systems: “These management systems, sometimes described as bossware, can be difficult for workers to understand or challenge, and may worsen job quality even where jobs are not eliminated,” the report said.