ILO Warns Generative AI Could Impact Women’s Jobs Twice as Much as Men’s

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming the global labour market, offering potential gains in productivity and job quality. However, a new research brief from the International Labour Organization (ILO) warns that the technology could disproportionately affect women, exposing them to higher risks of automation and job disruption.

According to the study, female-dominated occupations are nearly twice as likely to be exposed to GenAI as male-dominated ones, highlighting deep structural inequalities in the global labour market.

Women more exposed to AI-driven automation

The research brief, Gen AI, Occupational Segregation and Gender Equality in the World of Work, shows that occupational segregation plays a major role in the unequal impact of artificial intelligence.

Across countries with available data:

• 29% of female-dominated occupations are exposed to GenAI

• 16% of male-dominated occupations face similar exposure

When focusing on the highest-risk jobs, the disparity is even greater:

• 16% of female-dominated occupations fall into the highest automation risk category

• Only 3% of male-dominated occupations fall into that category

Women are heavily concentrated in clerical and administrative jobs such as secretaries, receptionists, payroll clerks and accounting assistants—roles that involve routine and structured tasks that can be more easily automated using generative AI technologies.

Men, by contrast, are more commonly employed in sectors like construction, manufacturing and manual trades, where tasks often require physical labour and complex on-site decision-making that is harder to automate.

"Generative AI is not entering a neutral labour market," said Anam Butt, co-author of the ILO research.

"Discriminatory social norms, unequal care responsibilities and labour market policies continue to shape which occupations women and men enter, leaving women concentrated in roles more exposed to automation."

Global trends show widespread gender exposure

The report found that women face greater exposure to GenAI in 88% of the countries analysed.

In some economies, more than 40% of women's employment is exposed to generative AI, including:

• Switzerland

• United Kingdom

• Philippines

• Several small island developing states in the Caribbean and Pacific

Exposure levels also vary by income level. In high-income countries, about 41% of jobs are exposed to GenAI, compared with 11% in low-income countries, reflecting differences in occupational structures and levels of digital development.

Women underrepresented in AI and STEM jobs

While AI is expected to create new employment opportunities in technology sectors, women remain significantly underrepresented in these fields.

Globally, women accounted for only about 30% of the AI workforce in 2022, an increase of just four percentage points since 2016.

They also remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, particularly in high-demand fields such as software development and engineering.

This imbalance means women may face greater risks from automation while benefiting less from emerging AI-driven job opportunities.

The report warns that when women are excluded from AI-related industries and decision-making roles, economies lose valuable talent, diversity and innovation.

Risk of gender bias in AI systems

The ILO also cautions that AI systems can reproduce existing social inequalities if they are developed without diverse participation.

Technologies are designed within existing social and economic systems and may reflect embedded biases present in training data or algorithms.

Research has shown that biased AI systems can negatively affect women in areas such as:

• Recruitment and hiring decisions

• Pay and promotion systems

• Credit scoring and financial access

• Public and private service delivery

These risks are particularly severe for women facing multiple forms of discrimination, including those related to race, ethnicity, disability or migration status.

GenAI likely to reshape job quality

The ILO notes that the biggest impact of generative AI may not necessarily be job losses but changes in job quality and work organization.

GenAI could:

• Alter work tasks and responsibilities

• Intensify workloads

• Increase digital monitoring and surveillance

• Reduce worker autonomy

At the same time, if implemented responsibly, AI technologies could also improve productivity, working conditions and work–life balance.

Policy choices will shape the outcome

The ILO stresses that the impact of generative AI is not predetermined and will depend heavily on policy decisions, workplace governance and social dialogue.

Embedding gender equality into the design and deployment of AI technologies is critical, alongside policies that:

• Reduce occupational segregation

• Expand women's access to digital and technical skills

• Increase women's participation in AI-related jobs and leadership roles

"The impact of generative AI on women's jobs is not predetermined," said Janine Berg, senior economist at the ILO and co-author of the report.

"With the right policies, social dialogue and gender-responsive design, we can prevent technology from reinforcing existing discrimination."

The organization emphasised that strong labour institutions and cooperation between governments, employers and workers will be essential to ensure that technological change supports decent work and a more inclusive future of work.