Women of colour make up more than 30 per cent of workers in jobs most exposed to artificial intelligence, according to a new report from the National Partnership for Women & Families in the United States.
The Washington-based advocacy group released “AI and Emerging Risks for Women Workers” on April 28, finding that AI is reshaping women’s jobs and working conditions. The report examines how the technology affects women’s work and identifies which groups face the greatest risk of displacement.
“AI is beginning to influence and change American workplaces, at a time when we still have so much work to do to create workspaces that are equitable and fair for women, especially women of color,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
“Because women are significantly overrepresented in positions such as secretaries, office clerks and receptionists, they will be uniquely affected by this technology. Without clear standards and accountability, we risk reinforcing the same inequities that have shaped our economy for decades.”
The most AI-vulnerable jobs are those where workers face the highest exposure to the technology and the lowest ability to adapt or move into new roles, the report said. Generative AI is also creating new versions of long-standing workplace issues, including bias, harassment, privacy and transparency concerns.
Overrepresentation across racial groups
Several groups of women hold a disproportionate share of the most AI-vulnerable jobs, the report found. For some groups, their share of these jobs is nearly double their share of the overall workforce.
The report identified the following patterns:
- White women, Latinas and American Indian and Alaska Native women: share of the most AI-vulnerable jobs is nearly double their share of the overall workforce
- Black and multiracial women: share of the most AI-vulnerable jobs is more than 1.5 times their share of the workforce overall
- All women: make up 83 per cent of workers in the 15 most AI-vulnerable jobs, despite holding less than half of all jobs
“Right now, too many workers are navigating the use of AI in their workplaces without proper protections in place,” said Tanya Goldman, senior fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Lawmakers have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to set clear rules that both support the responsible use of these tools and protect workers from harm.”
Call for policy action
The report includes policy recommendations aimed at protecting women workers as AI use expands. It also points to areas where further research is needed to track the technology’s effects on the workforce.
The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group focused on workplace fairness, reproductive health, health care access and work-family policies.
