According to a recent UN study, roles typically held by women face greater risks of being automated through AI compared to positions occupied by men.
The latest report from the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) along with Poland’s National Research Institute of the Ministry of Digital Affairs (NASK) revealed that automation might displace almost 10 percent of jobs dominated by women in high-income nations, whereas only about 3.5 percent of male-dominated roles face similar risks.
In high-income nations, the largest gap in job distribution between genders occurs, with 41% of well-paid positions held by women potentially affected by artificial intelligence, whereas this figure stands at only 28% for men’s roles.
In Europe and Central Asia, 39% of women’s jobs may be impacted as opposed to 26% of men’s roles.
The patterns recognized by the study mirror occupational structures, with AI-exposed roles being predominantly located in high-income nations.
In total, the ILO discovered that approximately 25% of workers worldwide are employed in jobs that involve some level of artificial intelligence interaction.
Complete substitution via AI remains ‘restricted’
To arrive at these conclusions, the survey was carried out among 1,640 individuals working across different sectors in Poland, with the outcomes examined by a select panel of global specialists.
The researchers subsequently created an artificial intelligence system that utilized this survey data along with nationwide employment statistics to determine the likelihood of automation for around 2,500 occupations and more than 29,000 individual work activities.
The research revealed that roles such as data entry clerks, typists, word processors, accountants, and bookkeepers are at the highest risk from artificial intelligence because of certain duties they perform, including transcribing meetings or setting up appointments.
Various occupations noted for significant AI interaction include web and media developers, database experts, finance professionals, and those involved in software development.
The study indicates that these figures illustrate the “possible exposure,” yet they do not represent any real job cuts.
Complete substitution with AI remains “restricted,” the document went on to say, highlighting that people are still essential for monitoring specific activities.
“Since the majority of jobs involve tasks needing human involvement, the probable effect of generative AI will be job reshaping,” according to the report.
The report went on to say that factors such as technological limitations, infrastructural deficiencies, and skill scarcities could significantly affect the extent of job losses or broader uptake of AI technologies.
The report urges governments, employees, and worker organizations to develop “inclusive strategies” aimed at safeguarding job quality and boosting productivity in vulnerable sectors.
Getting swept up in the AI frenzy can be quite simple,” remarked Janine Berg, a senior economist at the ILO, in a statement. “Clarity and context are what we truly require.