Female employees more likely to be affected by AI automation 

Women are more likely to be more affected by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) automation in the workforce, because they are more represented in job sectors which involve functions that overlap with AI.

This, compounded with the fact that women are less presented in fields where AI has less effect, such as blue-collar manual work, means that there is a gendered impact with regards to how AI affects employees, especially in Asia’s major economies, according to a report by Goldman Sachs entitled Women (Still) Hold Up Half the Sky.

According to the report, the impact of AI is more likely to be higher in countries with developed markets than in emerging markets, as there is a higher volume of service sector jobs in developed economies. Finance hubs such as Hong Kong, for example, could see 25% of its workforce being replaced by 2028, leaving 800,000 Hongkongers out of work.

READ MORE: Gender discrimination in the hiring process still prevalent in Japan

Moreover, women in fields like AI and data currently only make up 20% of the total number of people in the market. In sectors like education, women working with AI remain underrepresented in these fields, with them only making up 40% of the total workforce in education. Sectors like technology, media, and manufacturing fare worse, with female AI talent making up at less than 25%.

However, according to Goldman Sachs, some female-dominated industries, such as services that focus on caregiving sector, will benefit from AI, as the technology would likely be a boost for productivity, and there would be less job substitution, reported the South China Morning Post.