Is AI truly helping women?
Written by Anvi Sharma
As the world embraces artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, a quiet revolution is underway. With the promise of reshaping industries, redefining the meaning of work, and embracing change – the livelihood of millions of workers is at stake. AI may offer benefits in efficiency and innovation, particularly in tech and digital sectors, however, the growing presence raises concerns about job displacement, particularly for women.
AI has opened up multiple doors for women in competitive STEM fields. According to a 2023 McKinsey report, women represent 40% of the workforce in tech-related AI roles, a significant increase from the previous male-dominated years. The rise of remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic created this increase, with software development, data science, and machine learning growing exponentially. Additionally, the use of AI in human resources and job recruitment has potentially reduced gender bias. The focus on merit-based hiring rather than traditional, often biased, recruitment practices has led to an increase in women entering STEM fields. In 2021, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported that women accounted for around 35% of STEM-related positions, and while it is a vast increase from past years, women are still disproportionately represented.
Sectors like retail, healthcare, and administrative roles, which have high concentrations of female workers, are highly susceptible to automation. The World Bank reported in 2021 that up to 160 million women globally could be displaced by automation by 2030. For example, administrative jobs, where women hold nearly 70% of positions, are increasingly being replaced by AI-driven technologies like chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated scheduling tools. Additionally, jobs in customer service and retail, fields where women make up more than 60% of the workforce, are vulnerable to automation, with AI projected to replace 30-40% of these roles by 2030.
As a country that prides itself on being diverse and progressive, the lack of attention on the rickety future of women in major industries is concerning. On one hand, AI creates a reality where women benefit from skill-based hiring practices of AI that reduce gender bias. On the other hand, the threat of automation looms over jobs predominately held by women, where AI tools are rapidly replacing human cost and labor. The two realities only further expose the urgent need for a response, both systematic and social.
