AI Threatens Jobs For Women First, New Research Shows

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market, and new research reveals that women will feel the impact more strongly than men. A joint study from the Brookings Institution and the Centre for the Governance of AI finds that AI tools are replacing routine work in clerical and administrative fields where women make up most of the workforce.

Researchers identified over 37 million U.S. workers whose roles face high exposure to automation. Roughly 26.5 million of those workers have strong skills and resources that could help them shift into new careers. But about 6.1 million employees, primarily in back-office and support positions, may struggle to adapt because they lack savings, face age-related barriers, or have narrow job skill sets. In these roles, 86 % of the staff are women.

Experts warn that the threat doesn’t stem from women’s abilities, but from the structure of the economy. Brookings senior fellow Mark Muro says women occupy jobs that AI can replicate more easily. Sam Manning of the Centre for the Governance of AI urges workers to engage with AI now and build new skills to stay competitive as the technology evolves.

This gendered pattern aligns with broader research showing that AI and automation risk rates differ sharply by occupation. International reports show that in high-income countries, jobs dominated by women face much higher automation exposure than jobs dominated by men, particularly in fields like data entry and scheduling.

Advocates call on employers, policymakers, and educators to invest in training programs and career transition support tailored to women in vulnerable roles. They argue that only proactive strategies can prevent widening economic disparities as AI adoption accelerates.