New brief reveals measures to avert anticipated inequality
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned that generative AI will likely have an uneven impact on genders, with the potential to affect women's jobs more than men's.
The ILO's new brief revealed that women are disproportionately exposed to GenAI because of three main reasons:
- Overrepresentation in jobs most susceptible to automation
- Underrepresentation in AI-related and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations
- Existing gender biases reflected in AI systems
"The higher exposure of women is closely linked to entrenched occupational segregation and the systemic barriers that sustain it," the ILO brief reads.
"Discriminatory social and legal norms and biases in recruitment, promotion and workplace practices, and macroeconomic and sectoral policies often shape labour markets in ways that have implications for women's equality of opportunities and treatment."
But the impact on women's jobs is "not predetermined," according to Janine Berg, senior economist in the Research Department and co-author of the report.
"With the right policies, social dialogue, and gender-responsive design, we can avert reinforcing existing discrimination," Berg said in a statement.
The report stressed that embedding gender equality in the design, deployment, and governance of GenAI will be essential.
Tackling occupational segregation and expanding women's access to skills and representation in AI-related roles will also make an impact.
"The choices made today will determine whether GenAI becomes a force for greater equality or one that entrenches existing gaps," the report read.
Factors impacting uneven GenAI impact
The ILO brief was released ahead of International Women's Day on March 8. According to the ILO, its focus on AI's impact on gender equality stems from the anticipated effect of the technology on work, which already has "existing inequalities" for men and women.
"These disparities shape how they are likely to be affected by technological change – both in terms of opportunities and risks," the brief read.
One of the disparities that will affect GenAI's influence on gender equality is linked to the persisting gender segregation when it comes to occupations.
"Female-dominated occupations are almost twice as likely to be exposed to GenAI as male-dominated ones," the report read.
"These occupations have a significant portion of tasks that are at greater risk of exposure to AI-driven automation and require adaptation strategies that support both workers and enterprises in addressing these risks while leveraging technology for productivity and skills upgrading."
According to the ILO, women are more exposed to GenAI than men in 88% of countries, with the highest levels of exposure recorded in small island countries in the Pacific and the Caribbean, in some European countries, and in the Philippines.
"This can be likely attributed to a higher share of women in the services sector and the rapid expansion of AI in these economies," the report read.
The underrepresentation of women in STEM and AI is also a barrier to equal opportunity, according to the ILO.
"This not only limits their ability to benefit from emerging opportunities but also constrains enterprises from fully leveraging women's talent and perspectives," the report read.
It added that this underrepresentation can also perpetuate gender-biased technologies, including GenAI.
The ILO highlighted that AI systems trained on unrepresentative and incomplete datasets risk producing discriminatory outcomes.
"GenAI systems trained on incomplete or biased data can reproduce and amplify gender inequalities, with consequences for recruitment, participation, promotion, pay, workplace monitoring, and access to skills and resources," the report read.
"These risks are compounded for women at the intersections of multiple inequalities, such as race, ethnicity, or disability."
AI's 'unprecedented' growth
The report comes amid the "unprecedented" evolution of GenAI technologies, according to the ILO.
But the organisation stressed that its most likely impact will be on job quality rather than job quantity.
"It can intensify workloads, reduce autonomy, and introduce bias," it said.
"Yet GenAI also has the potential to improve job quality by easing physical demands, supporting well-being and enhancing workplace safety and equality, including at enterprise level. This requires GenAI be designed inclusively and supported by strong labour market institutions and social dialogue."
