Women could be more likely to lose their jobs due to AI

NEW US research forecasts that women are more likely to lose their jobs with the advance of AI. While artificial intelligence may make certain professional tasks easier, it could also lead to the elimination of low-paid jobs, mainly held by women.

AI is reshaping the world of work. Over the years, AI is poised to develop and perfect some amazing functionalities, such as writing code, detecting disease, creating content, providing customer support, and even accelerating scientific discovery. Nevertheless, some jobs are in danger of being completely automated, which raises questions about the future of some occupations. And a recent report from the consulting firm McKinsey predicts that women, as well as Black and Hispanic people, could be the workers most likely to lose their jobs to AI. 

The report analysed US labour market trends to 2030 and found that women are 1.5 times more likely than men to have to change jobs over the next seven years. This can be explained by the ubiquity of women in low-paid jobs, which are more at risk of automation.

In the USA, for example, they are very present in office support and customer service roles, sectors likely to lose millions of jobs (around 3.7 and 2 million respectively) by 2030. Black and Hispanic workers will also be affected, as these employees are "highly concentrated in some shrinking occupations within customer service, food services, and production work," the report says.

These jobs, which involve repetitive tasks, data collection and basic data processing, are easily managed by AI systems. As a result, workers in these at-risk jobs are up to 14 times more likely to have to change professions than their higher-paid counterparts employed in the transport, construction and healthcare sectors. For employees looking for a new job with better pay, "most will need additional skills to do so successfully," notes the report. Indeed, the research estimates some 12 million occupational shifts by 2030.

While some of the professional sectors mentioned will continue to lose staff, others should benefit from the widespread use of AI. "We see generative AI enhancing the way STEM, creative, and business and legal professionals work rather than eliminating a significant number of jobs outright," notes the report. – ETX Daily Up, August 5, 2023