Genogenous artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping the world of work, with the potential to boost productivity, support job creation, and improve job quality, but its impact is far from gender-neutral.

The report, titled " Gen AI, occupational segregation and gender equality in the world of work," shows that women are disproportionately affected by Gen AI for three main reasons: women occupy higher proportions in jobs most susceptible to automation; they are underrepresented in AI-related and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields; and AI systems themselves often reflect and replicate pre-existing gender stereotypes in society.

The ILO report is based on an advanced global index of occupational exposure to Gen AI and new evidence from ILO data covering 84 countries.

Women tend to focus on high-risk jobs.

The research report shows that, across countries with available data, occupations dominated by women are twice as likely to be exposed to GenAI compared to occupations dominated by men.

Approximately 29% of female-dominated occupations are at risk of being impacted by GenAI, compared to only 16% of male-dominated occupations.

The difference is even more pronounced when considering the high risk of automation: 16% of female-dominated occupations fall into the highest risk group, compared to only 3% of male-dominated occupations.

These risks are closely related to occupational differentiation. Women are concentrated in clerical, administrative, and business support positions, such as secretaries, receptionists, payroll clerks, and accounting assistants, where many tasks are routine and programmable, thus posing a higher risk of being replaced by GenAI.

Conversely, men are more prevalent in construction, manufacturing, and crafts, where tasks are more difficult to automate.

At the national level, women are at higher risk of being impacted by GenAI than men in 88% of the countries analyzed. In some economies, more than 40% of women's jobs are at risk of being affected by GenAI, including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, as well as small developing island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Overall, in high-income countries, 41% of jobs are impacted by GenAI, compared to only 11% in low-income countries, reflecting differences in occupational structures and digital readiness.

Anam Butt, co-author of the ILO study, said: “GenAI does not penetrate a neutral labor market. Discriminatory social norms, unequal care responsibilities and economic and labor market policies that do not adequately meet the needs of women and men continue to shape who engages in which occupations and under what conditions.”

As a result, women are concentrated in occupations more likely to be automated and remain underrepresented in AI-related jobs, facing higher risks but fewer opportunities from this technological transformation.”

Excluded from AI opportunities

Although GenAI is expected to boost job growth in technology-intensive fields, women remain largely excluded from these opportunities.

Globally, women accounted for only about 30% of the AI ​​workforce in 2022, just 4 percentage points higher than in 2016. They are also underrepresented in STEM jobs in general, particularly in high-demand fields such as engineering and software development.

This imbalance is significant. When women are absent from AI-related jobs and decision-making roles, they are less likely to benefit from new job opportunities and skill development. At the same time, businesses lose talent, diversity, and the potential for innovation.

Technology is shaped by society.

The report also emphasizes that GenAI, like previous technologies, is not neutral. The technologies are designed, trained, and deployed within existing economic and social structures and therefore can reproduce prejudices and discrimination.

The limited representation of women in the development and adoption of AI increases the risk of gender-biased technologies emerging.

AI systems trained on biased or incomplete data have been shown to disadvantage women in recruitment, compensation decisions, credit scoring, and access to services.

These risks are exacerbated for women who face multiple overlapping forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, or migration status. Without protections, GenAI could amplify these inequalities on a large scale.

Policy choices are very important.

The ILO emphasizes that GenAI's greatest impact is its potential to affect the quality of work rather than the quantity of work.

GenAI can change tasks, increase workloads, enhance supervision, or reduce autonomy. But if designed and deployed responsibly, GenAI can also improve working conditions, boost productivity, and support work-life balance.

"The choices made today will determine whether GenAI becomes a driving force for greater equality or a factor in strengthening existing gaps," the report notes.

Integrating gender equality into the design, deployment, and governance of GenAI is essential, along with addressing occupational segregation, expanding women's access to skills, and ensuring their presence in AI-related roles.

Janine Berg, senior economist in the ILO's research department and co-author of the report, said: “The impact of GenAI on women’s employment is not predetermined. With the right policies, social dialogue and gender-responsive design, we can prevent discrimination.”

Strong labor market institutions and social dialogue are crucial to this process. By engaging governments, employers, and workers in shaping how GenAI is applied in the workplace, technological change can support employment and foster a more inclusive future of work for all.