New Delhi: As artificial intelligence (AI) develops, it has the ability to automate a wide range of operations that were previously done by people, which is causing a seismic change in the world’s employment. People worry that AI will eventually replace people in offices, eliminating jobs. However, despite all the worry about AI replacing human workers in the workplace, a recent study reveals a worrying trend: AI will replace more female workers than male workers.
The McKinsey Global Institute has published research titled “Generative AI and the Future of Work in America” that details the enormous impact that AI would have on the US labour market by 2030.
By 2030, the report estimates that 12 million employment in the US alone would have changed due to automation led by AI replacing jobs that require data collecting and repetitive labour.
Given that AI is anticipated to automate more roles in sectors traditionally dominated by women, one significant issue raised in the paper is that these job transitions will disproportionately affect women compared to males.
According to the McKinsey analysis, women are 1.5 times more likely than males to need to change careers as a result of AI automation.
The fact that women outnumber males in certain industries is not the only factor contributing to inequality. Despite the fact that there are more men than women working, the survey shows that 21 percent more women are exposed to AI automation.
This is a result of the higher proportion of female employees in the areas most susceptible to disruption by AI, such as office assistance, customer service, and the food industry.
For instance, the study discovered that women make up 60 percent of office support staff and 80 percent of customer service agents in the United States. And in the upcoming years, AI is very likely to automate these two professions.
“We predict that there might be a 1.6 million job loss in the need for clerks, in addition to losses of 830,000 jobs for retail salespeople, 710,000 jobs for administrative assistants, and 630,000 jobs for cashiers. These jobs entail a significant amount of repetitive work, data collection, and basic data processing—all tasks that automated systems can complete effectively.
The effects of this tendency are extensive. According to the survey, employees in lower-paying positions—which are frequently held by women—are up to 14 times more likely to need to change careers than those in the highest-paying roles.
Additionally, the majority will need extra abilities to transfer into new roles successfully. Given that women are already paid around 22 percent less than males, according to the Economic Policy Institute, this is especially alarming.
