After the epidemic, women worked hard to get back into the job, and their efforts paid off with historically high rates of female employment participation. However, their advancement is now in jeopardy because of the impending advent of AI. Nearly 80% of working women, or an astounding 59 million people, are at danger of having their jobs automated away, according to studies. This is a worrying number, and we need to respond to the looming catastrophe with compassion and swift action.
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The Future of Women’s Equality is Precarious
There is both opportunity and risk in the deployment of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. The experts at Goldman Sachs believe that AI will drastically alter the employment market by replacing workers with machines. The burden of this change will fall disproportionately on women, unfortunately. According to new data from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, 79% of women’s employment are at danger, compared to 58% of men’s.
This statistic has far-reaching consequences. ZipRecruiter’s senior economist, Julia Pollak, puts it best when she calls the statistics “staggering.” Although certain office tasks may be amenable to automation, those typically performed by men, such as carpentry and electrical work, are less likely to be replaced. As a result, the progress women have achieved over the years may be threatened, if only momentarily. However, it’s important to remember that with new technologies come exciting new possibilities.
A Dangerous Impasse
Women are disproportionately represented in white-collar jobs, whereas males are more evenly distributed across white- and blue-collar sectors. Because of this gender gap, women are at greater risk in careers where they often interact with AI. According to statistics provided by UNC Kenan-Flagler, the industries that offer office and administrative help, healthcare, education, and social services are the ones that have the largest number of female employees.
Mark McNeilly, the study’s primary author, stresses that the danger does not automatically entail job loss. Instead, it compels individuals to consider how they might differentiate their contributions from those of others. Keeping up with the ever-changing environment requires constant learning and adaptation.
The Interrupted Recovery from a Pandemic
Women’s rates of employment had been rising faster than men’s just before the epidemic hit. Women have made strides because to things like rising educational opportunities, more participation in the workforce, and the expansion of professions formerly controlled by males. This upward trend, however, was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of COVID-19.
Female-dominated industries including the service industry, education, and healthcare all took a major hit. There was a delay in women’s return to the labor market due to job losses and the fact that women bear a disproportionate share of caring obligations. Finding affordable daycare and job options that allow for flexibility just added to the difficulties women already faced.
Amazing Recovery Despite Uncertainty
Despite the challenges, the recovery from the epidemic has provided fresh impetuses for women to enter the labor. Telecommuting and other forms of workplace flexibility have increased the availability of childcare for working parents. Low-paid occupations, in particular, saw salary increases as a result of the labor scarcity caused by demographic changes and health concerns. Women are overrepresented in fields like healthcare and the hotel industry, which both saw significant employment growth.
As a result of women’s dogged determination, the labor force participation rate for those aged 25 to 54 reached a record high of 77.6%. Despite its impressive nature, this accomplishment is vulnerable to a new danger: the inexorable advance of artificial intelligence.
Fear of Artificial Intelligence
The development of artificial intelligence poses a risk to the strenuously achieved advancements made by women. An alarming majority of women are at danger in the most AI-exposed professions, according to Revelio Labs, a workforce data research expert. Bill and account collectors, payroll and timekeeping clerks, executive secretaries, word processors, and accounting clerks are on the verge of extinction as a result of technological advancements.
CEO of Revelio Ben Zweig points out that occupations are always changing. The prospect for automation, though, grows more and more real as AI develops. Artificial intelligence (AI) may not be able to take over all professions just yet, but it is a serious danger to those that can be automated or copied by machines.
A Call to Compassion and Proactivity
Now is the time for humanity to show compassion and take action in response to the AI revolution. There is no denying that extensive automation will have serious effects for women. Positions that provide security, advancement opportunities, and personal satisfaction are under jeopardy. Now is the moment for organizations and individuals to take action to preserve the gains we’ve earned.
Dana Peterson, chief economist of the Conference Board, highlights three crucial factors that help women advance in their careers: affordable childcare, competitive pay, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. These anchors need to be strengthened so they can weather the automation storm. It is not enough to just watch the terrain shift. We need to advocate for policies that make everyone feel welcome, provide chances to learn new skills, and pay people fairly for their work.
Humanity’s Survival in the AI Era
While artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and dangers, it is important to keep in mind that certain jobs just cannot be automated. Library and archive expert Dr. Sara Mannheimer, who promotes the responsible use of AI, stresses the everlasting significance of human effort. Algorithms will never be able to replace librarians because of the critical thinking, appraisal, and trustworthiness that goes into their profession. Their functions are crucial because of the human element brought by their sympathy, understanding, and sensitivity.
Meredith Nudo, a freelance writer and voice actor, discusses the rise of artificial intelligence and her fight to save her job. Her call to protect the human element, genuine voice acting, and the art of writing highlights the significance of preserving the skills that make us who we are.
A Call for a Harmonious Future
To succeed in the undiscovered seas of AI integration, we must create a future that is both prosperous and humane. Let’s acknowledge the magnitude of the change and collaborate to lessen its negative consequences on women. We can create a society where technology and human intellect are complementary, where women continue to advance, and where success is not defined by the loss of jobs but by the expansion of horizons.
How about we give women the same empathy they gave men when, in the early 2000’s, men lost jobs due to off-shoring and factory automation? And write a book called: The End of Women; and make jokes?
Odd, how, now that it is happening to women, it is considered tragic; when it happened to men, it was considered funny.