Women at Risk: Economic Inequalities in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence models continue to evolve, it is imperative to address harmful implications of AI advancement on women entering – and staying – in the workplace.   

There is growing concern for job displacement from AI in industries like software development, customer service and finance. Within these industries, the International Labour Organization reports more women are at risk of AI-related layoffs compared to men. In jobs that have uniform tasks, women outnumber men two-to-one – meaning more women have a greater chance of being replaced by AI. Existing issues like the gender pay gap already impede efforts to achieve economic equality for women; AI developments may further undermine progress. 

In jobs involving less routine and repetition that can be modelled by AI, women are more likely to experience a competence penalty from using AI. While women are less likely to use AI tools because of concern for ethics and judgement from peers, recent research has found that women are viewed as less competent despite using the same AI tools to produce the same output as their male counterparts. Along with prevailing biases around women’s ambitions, desire for career progression and commitment at work, this may compound barriers for women’s career advancement.   

Outside of the workplace, for women with caregiving responsibilities particularly, rapid developments in AI present little time and opportunity to partake in essential upskilling and retraining. With an increasing demand to deploy AI systems across sectors, more women may find it difficult to re-enter the workforce or return to a role after a career break. 

AI automation can also compound gender bias in the job seeking process. Deloitte reports that women only make up a third of AI-related roles, reflecting the under-representation of female students pursuing STEM fields and careers. Without women working in AI, expanding functions will likely exclude data and patterns that reflect the experiences of women. Already, AI-powered CV screening discriminates candidates applying for the same role, dismissing language associated with female job seekers and prioritising male job seekers. 

At TWF, we believe that women and girls should be given opportunities and resources to reach their full potential. In the age of AI, empowering women and girls to be confident in utilising this technology and remaining competitive is of utmost importance to their professional aspirations and career longevity. In addition to looking at AI in our Girls Go Tech Programme, we are continuing to look at ways in which we can integrate AI skills across existing and upcoming initiatives.  

To mitigate current economic inequalities exacerbated by AI, here are three ways for employers to begin: 

• Support TWF’s Girls Go Tech. Encourage girls in Hong Kong from underserved backgrounds to develop skills in STEM and explore STEM-related fields, inspiring the next generation of AI-talent. 

• Implement on-the-job training, flexible self-learning plans and resource sharing for AI-use within roles for women returning to work. Include essential upskilling to attract a greater talent pool and remain competitive in the market. 

• Create a cultural shift through mobilising senior leadership to recognise AI-use across all functions. If AI-use is deployed across the organisation, spotlight executive perspectives on how it is beneficial to all staff, and address how it aligns with merit-based evaluation.