Latest news with #MarekTroszyński
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why women are 3 times more likely than men to lose jobs to AI, as per ILO study
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and automates tasks at lightning speed, a new global study has uncovered a troubling truth: Women are three times more likely than men to lose their jobs to AI. The study, conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency, shows that this fast-moving wave of automation isn't hitting everyone equally— and women are bearing the brunt of it. The numbers tell a stark story In wealthier countries, around 10% of jobs held by women are at high risk of being replaced by AI. In contrast, only 3.5% of male-held jobs fall into that category. This isn't just about automation—it's about widening the gender gap in the workplace. So, what's behind this imbalance? The jobs most at risk According to the ILO, AI is especially likely to replace clerical and administrative roles—jobs like typists, data entry clerks, bookkeepers, and even some financial analysts and software developers. These positions are often repetitive, rule-based, and highly digitized, making them ideal targets for tools like generative AI. And guess what? These roles are mostly held by women. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No dark spots, 10 years younger! Just take this from Watsons URUHIME MOMOKO Learn More Undo 'Clerical jobs face the highest exposure of all,' says the ILO report. Senior economist Janine Berg adds, 'We need clarity and context—not just AI hype—so countries can prepare their labor markets for a fairer future.' It's not just low-level jobs anymore What's even more concerning is that AI is starting to creep into higher-skilled fields too. Jobs in software, finance, and media—once considered safe from automation—are now at risk because of how digital and data-driven they've become. That means even women in high-paying, cognitively demanding roles aren't safe from the impact of AI. The gender gap is growing Jobs that are relatively safe from AI—like cleaners, dentists, performers, and sanitation workers—are less likely to be held by women. This creates a dangerous imbalance that could widen existing gaps in pay, employment, and career advancement. Marek Troszyński, co-author of the ILO study, highlights the importance of this research: 'This tool helps identify where GenAI will have the biggest impact, so countries can prepare and protect workers.' A call for smarter policies The ILO is urging governments, employers, and labor organizations to take action—now. The goal? To make sure AI helps improve job quality and productivity without leaving women behind. Tech isn't neutral— And neither should our response be At the heart of this study is a powerful message: AI doesn't work in a vacuum. It reflects and amplifies existing social structures—including biases. If we don't act now, AI could deepen inequality in the workforce. But with smart, inclusive policies and proactive planning, we can shape a future where technology supports equity—not exclusion. The bottom line The AI revolution is here, and it's changing how we work. The real question is: Will we let it deepen the gender divide, or will we use it to build a more inclusive world of work? The answer depends on what we do next. Why India's mental health crisis needs urgent attention One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
AI threatens women's jobs three times more than men's, as per United Nations report
Listen to article Women are nearly three times more likely than men to have their jobs automated by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new report from the United Nations' International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Poland's National Research Institute (NASK). The report, released May 20, highlights the disproportionate impact AI-driven automation is expected to have on women's roles in the workplace, especially in higher-income countries. It found that about 9.6% of women's jobs in these countries face a high risk of AI automation, compared to just 3.5% of men's jobs. Globally, around 25% of jobs are potentially exposed to generative AI technologies, rising to 34% in wealthier nations. Clerical and administrative positions, where women make up the vast majority, are particularly vulnerable. In the United States, between 93% and 97% of secretarial and administrative assistant roles were held by women from 2000 to 2019, according to US Census Bureau data. These roles rank among the most common jobs for women, making AI's impact on these positions a significant concern. The report does not include caretaker roles such as health aides, which typically involve emotional labour and are considered less susceptible to AI automation. Experts emphasise that the report does not claim AI will completely eliminate clerical or entry-level jobs but identifies roles where AI can take on certain tasks, signalling where workers and employers should prepare for change. 'This index helps identify where generative AI is likely to have the biggest impact, so countries can better prepare and protect workers,' said Marek Troszyński, senior expert at NASK. Rembrand Koning, associate professor at Harvard Business School, advocates for viewing AI as a tool for augmentation rather than solely a threat. 'AI can automate routine tasks, enabling workers to focus on higher-paying or more complex activities,' he revealed in the report. However, Koning's research reveals a gender gap in AI adoption. Women use AI tools at a rate approximately 25% lower than men, partly due to concerns about the ethics of AI and fears of being perceived as cheating or less competent by colleagues. 'Men tend to be more confident, even overconfident, about the benefits of using AI,' Koning said. He emphasises that workplace leaders must foster inclusive environments where all employees feel comfortable adopting AI technologies. 'It's the job of a leader to bring everybody in,' Koning said. As AI continues reshaping the workforce, ensuring equitable access and support for women will be crucial to safeguarding their careers amid this technological transition.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
AI in the workplace is nearly 3 times more likely to take a woman's job as a man's, UN report finds
As AI transforms workplaces, the technology has an outsized impact on women's jobs, according to new data from the United Nations' International Labour Organization and Poland's National Research Institute. To help future-proof their careers, women can use AI to augment their jobs, but are less likely to engage with the technology than their male counterparts, according to Harvard Business School professor Rembrand Koning. As workers grapple with anxiety around artificial intelligence replacing them, women in the workplace may have extra reason to fear. Jobs traditionally held by women are much more exposed to AI than those traditionally held by men, according to new data from the United Nations' International Labour Organization (ILO) and Poland's National Research Institute (NASK). In higher income countries, jobs with the highest risk of AI automation make up about 9.6% of women's jobs, compared to 3.5% of jobs among men, the report released Tuesday found. More broadly, 25% of global jobs are potentially exposed to generative AI, a percentage that increases to 34% among higher income countries. The report notes clerical and administrative jobs have the highest exposure to AI, which could be one reason why AI poses an outsized risk to women workers. Between 93% and 97% of secretary and administrative assistant positions in the U.S. were held by women between 2000 and 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Comparatively, women made up between 40% and 44% of the workforce in the same 20-year period. Secretaries and administrators are the fifth most common professions for women in the U.S., according to the Department of Labor. Notably, the study does not mention caretaker jobs such as health aides that require emotional labor and are more likely to be held by women; they are considered more AI-proof. While AI has shown potential to gobble up jobs like software engineers and computer programmers, the technology may also threaten entry-level positions across white-collar industries beyond administrative roles. A Bloomberg report in April found AI could replace more than half the tasks performed by market research analysts and two-thirds of tasks done by sales representatives. The technology could perform only 9% and 21% of the respective tasks of those positions' managers. The ILO-NASK report isn't meant to say that AI will eliminate clerical or entry-level jobs. Rather, these jobs still require human involvement in some capacity, and identifying jobs that AI can partially complete can help prepare the workforce in those industries for technological changes. 'This index helps identify where GenAI is likely to have the biggest impact, so countries can better prepare and protect workers,' Marek Troszyński, senior expert at NASK, said in the report. Rembrand Koning, associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, believes one key to women future-proofing workplace roles that may be more exposed to AI is to follow the framework of viewing AI as a tool, not a threat. 'This goes back to the distinction between automation versus augmentation when we think about AI,' Koning told Fortune. 'We can think of this as a threat, which is that it's going to automate away a lot of these clerical jobs that might be held more by women. On the other hand, we can think of AI as automating a lot of this work, of allowing [workers] to take on tasks that might be higher paying, or that there might be more competition.' While Koning sees a path forward for workers to use AI to their benefit, he also sees a gender barrier: Women are using AI tools at an average 25% lower rate than men, his research found. There's not one clear reason for this disparity, Koning said, but one explanation outlined in a working paper co-authored by Koning is women are more concerned about the ethics of AI. Some fear they will be judged as cheating for using the technology or that leaning on AI tools will cause male colleagues to question their intelligence. 'Men seem to be much more confident—shall I say, overconfident—that, if they use AI, they'll still get all the benefits,' Koning said. The onus of changing who feels comfortable accessing AI falls not on the women workers, but on leaders in the workplace, Koning said. In many workplaces, workers, usually men, experiment with AI tools in the shadows. Even if an office doesn't have a license for or partnership with an AI company, its management should still set clear expectations and resources on how to use the technology, Koning suggested. 'If we want to make sure it's inclusive, it includes all workers, it's the job of a leader to bring everybody in,' he said. This story was originally featured on
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
ILO: One in four jobs globally exposed to GenAI, but transformation more likely than loss
GENEVA: A new joint study from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Poland's National Research Institute (NASK) found that one in four jobs worldwide is potentially exposed to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) but that transformation, not replacement, is the most likely outcome. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the report, launched on Tuesday, and titled "Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure", introduces the most detailed global assessment to date of how GenAI may reshape the world of work. The index provides a unique and nuanced snapshot of how AI could transform occupations and employment across countries, by combining nearly 30,000 occupational tasks with expert validation, AI-assisted scoring, and ILO harmonised micro data. ILO Senior Researcher and lead author of the study Pawel Gmyrek said: "We went beyond theory to build a tool grounded in real-world jobs. "By combining human insight, expert review, and generative AI models, we've created a replicable method that helps countries assess risk and respond with precision." The report's key findings include a ew "exposure gradients", which cluster occupations according to their level of exposure to Generative AI, help policymakers distinguish between jobs at high risk of full automation and those more likely to evolve through task transformation. Twenty-five per cent of global employment falls within occupations potentially exposed to GenAI, with higher shares in high-income countries (34 per cent). Exposure among women continues to be significantly higher. In high-income countries, jobs at the highest risk of automation make up 9.6 per cent of female employment - a stark contrast to 3.5 per cent of such jobs among men. Clerical jobs face the highest exposure of all, due to GenAI's theoretical ability to automate many of their tasks. However, the expanding abilities of GenAI result in an increased exposure of some highly digitised cognitive jobs in media-, software- and finance-related occupations. Full job automation, however, remains limited, since many tasks, though done more efficiently, continue to require human involvement. The study highlights the possibly divergent paths for occupations accustomed to rapid digital transformations, such as software developers, and those where limited digital skills might have more negative effects. Policies guiding the digital transitions will be a leading factor in determining the extent to which workers may be retained in occupations that are transforming as a result of AI, and how such transformation affects job quality. Marek Troszyński, Senior Expert at NASK and one of co-authors of the new paper, said: "This index helps identify where GenAI is likely to have the biggest impact, so countries can better prepare and protect workers. "Our next step is to apply this new index to detailed labour force data from Poland." The ILO–NASK study emphasised that the figures reflect potential exposure, not actual job losses. Technological constraints, infrastructure gaps, and skills shortages mean that implementation will differ widely by country and sector. The authors stress that GenAI's effect is more likely to transform jobs than eliminate them. The report called on governments, employers', and workers' organisations to engage in social dialogue and shape proactive, inclusive strategies that can enhance productivity and job quality, especially in exposed sectors. – Bernama-WAM
