In a perfect world, artificial intelligence (AI) would bring equal opportunities for everyone. However, in the world we are living in today, AI is actually contributing to inequality in more ways than expected. Women are the ones who are feeling it the most, as the current application of AI is widening the gender gap. Unsurprisingly, society carries much of the blame for that.
AI is Undoing All the Progress in Narrowing the Gender Gap
As it becomes more advanced, AI will take over even more jobs from humans. However, a new report by the UN says that the consequences will be mainly felt by women. The research showed that around 10% of jobs usually done by women in high-income countries are at risk of being snatched away by AI, compared to 3.5% of jobs performed mostly by men. Additionally, 41% of female-dominated high-income work could be eventually replaced by AI compared to 28% of male-dominated high-income work.
If this bleak prediction comes true, it would mean that AI has undid all the progress that was made in narrowing the gender gap in recent decades. Women would have to settle for low-paying jobs out of necessity, which is something most of them are already doing when compared to the money men make for the same or similar work. The balance of power would once again tip all the way to the side of the men.
Society is Holding Women Back
Another way AI is threatening to widen the gap doesn’t have to do anything with the technology itself. According to a recently published working paper by Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning, women are adopting AI tools at a 25% lower rate compared to men. The reason for this has a lot to do with the way women are judged by society on a harsher scale than men.
While men feel empowered and confident to use AI in their everyday work, women are much more cautious. Besides the concerns about the ethics of such practices, women also fear that they will be accused of “cheating” or viewed as incompetent if they use AI. These fears are as old as time, but justified even today.
Women Using AI is Not Slacking Off but Working Smarter
There seems to be no stopping the AI. However, a lot can be done to help women take advantage of the positives. The first thing is stopping the stigmatization and recognizing that women who use AI are not slacking off but working smarter. Another one is to offer opportunities for women to familiarize themselves with the technology and ways it could help them advance their careers. Finally, have women assume more leading roles, allowing them to be at the forefront of the revolution and help guide it instead of feeling the consequences.
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