AI is changing jobs, but it's hitting women harder because many roles they work in are more vulnerable to automation. This blog explains how targeted training, fair opportunities, and greater diversity in tech AI can actually contribute to more equal opportunities in the labor market.
Why AI is increasingly threatening women's jobs – and what can be done about it
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the labor market. According to a new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO), one in four jobs worldwide is exposed to the impact of generative AI. In most cases, this means that work is changing, not disappearing entirely. But there's a worrying side to this story: jobs predominantly performed by women appear to be more likely to be under pressure from automation than jobs performed by men.
What exactly does this mean – and what can be done about it?
Why women are being hit harder by the rise of AI
The ILO study shows that 4.7% of women's jobs worldwide fall into the highest risk category, compared to 2.4% of men's jobs. In high-income countries, that difference is even greater: almost 10% of women's jobs versus 3.5% of men's jobs.
The explanation lies primarily in the types of jobs in which women are overrepresented. Think of administrative and support professions such as accounting, data entry, typing, or secretarial work. These are tasks that lend themselves well to automation: repetitive, digital, and highly rule-driven.
But it doesn't stop at these types of work. According to the ILO, jobs that require more analytical or creative skills—such as financial analysis, software development, or media production—are also increasingly showing signs of automation risk. This makes it clear that even highly educated women are not automatically protected.
Jobs will be transformed, not eliminated, by AI
The good news: the ILO emphasizes that complete job replacement by AI will be rare. A job consists of many different tasks, and it is complicated to have them all completely taken over by technology.
Fabien Curto Millet, Chief Economist at Google, explains:
“What AI does is replace tasks—not entire professions. Every profession consists of a bundle of tasks, and automating them all is quite difficult in practice. But even if a profession doesn't disappear completely, its nature can change significantly.”
In other words, the danger lies not only in the disappearance of jobs, but also in their erosion. When AI takes over the most routine or visible tasks, roles can become less compliant: less responsibility, more uncertainty, and stagnant wages.
What is needed to prevent inequality
AI in itself is not neutral. It often exacerbates existing imbalances in the labor market. Without conscious choices, gender inequality and disadvantages can therefore worsen. Fortunately, there are also solutions:
• Education and training
Women need equal access to education and training that prepare them for the jobs of the future. Not only technical skills, but also skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity are essential.
• Fair recruitment and career opportunities for women
Even with the right skills, women sometimes face structural barriers in job applications or promotions. Employers must therefore actively pursue policies to give women equal opportunities in new, AI-related roles.
• Diversity in the tech sector itself
AI development is still largely dominated by men. The more women and other underrepresented groups are involved in the development of this technology, the greater the chance that AI will be truly designed and applied more inclusively. Globally, we are slowly seeing improvement in this: according to the World Economic Forum, the share of female AI engineers on LinkedIn has increased from 23.5% in 2018 to almost 30% in 2025. But there is still a long way to go.
Moreover, the UWV emphasizes that employees and employers share the responsibility for equitably distributing the opportunities of AI. For employees, this means: continue investing in digital skills, even if your current job doesn't require them. Combine professional knowledge with soft skills like communication and collaboration—these are difficult for AI to replace. For employers, the key lies in creating roles where people and technology complement each other rather than supplant each other, and offering learning pathways that allow employees to gradually advance or retrain.
What does this mean for you? AI doesn't have to be a threat to the labor market
You might be wondering: As a woman, do I need to make different career choices to be secure for the future? The short answer is: not necessarily. But it's wise to look for employers who actively invest in diversity, inclusion, and employee development.
A future-proof employer ensures that all employees have the opportunity to grow with new technologies. This means: training budgets, fair career opportunities, and a culture in which everyone has the space to adapt to change.
AI doesn't have to be a threat to the labor market
Generative AI will change jobs, but it doesn't have to be a threat—provided we're aware of the inequality it can exacerbate. Employers have a significant responsibility in this regard: they can ensure that automation doesn't lead to exclusion, but rather to new opportunities for everyone.
👉 Are you looking for an employer who looks beyond technological efficiency and focuses on true inclusion and equal opportunities? View the vacancies on Tivy.club and find an organization where your future is secure – with or without AI.
Sources:
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
