By Kayitare Jean B
More women than men stand to loose their jobs by 2030 because of the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to the new report by the McKinsey Global Institute. The report found that 8 out of 10 women will be forced to move to another job due to AI and automation.
The study contends that the lower- paying jobs will be the most affected by AI, noting that more women than men hold those positions. Industries that are expected to shrink most are food services, customer service and sales and office support. It further records that women will be heavily impacted by AI development will need to expand their skills set to stay relevant in the workplace and move on to other positions.
Black and Hispanic workers, workers without college degrees, and the youngest and the oldest are more likely to have found new jobs in 2030, the study says. Across the low wage industries, the report says 1.1 million jobs could be eliminated, but the number of higher – paying jobs could grow by upwards 3.8 million.
Another report, UNESCO EQUAL skills coalition, (2019), estimated that, around the globe, women are 25percent less likely like men to know how to use information and communication technology (ICT) for basic purposes such as using simple arithmetic formulas on spreadsheets. Meanwhile men are four times likelier than women to have advanced skills such as computer programing.
But Jessica Davis, a senior director at AI and news automation product believes that AI will open more opportunities leadership in the field. Speaking last Sunday at Washington DC during the workshop on the potential of AI in the Newsroom, Education, and Research: Practical Implementation Strategies, Ms. Davis urged Media houses to invest in AI too.
“AI is not going to replace journalist’s jobs. In fact, it will make it better. Media houses should invest in AI. However, let them be socially responsible with information for authenticity and credibility. I hope we continue to harp on that. Its concerning and dangerous (that) you prompt these large language models and they feed you with information of which you are not sure of the source and you present it as truth without further probing. Let us be keen on how we handle information we get from automated machines. We have seen the blunders of AI when it’s used in a place of people.”
On whether AI’s benefits outride the negatives, Ms. Davis offers that AI is a solution for somethings and not others. She argued that AI can augment work, rather than replace it, so teams might spend time on creative, strategy or collaborative thinking.
With more reports showing that more women are likely to loose their jobs to AI as compared to their male counterparts, there has been consistent calls for governments, the private sector, and other actors to make effort and ensure women are not left behind in the digital economy. Organisations, citizens, policymakers, and academics are also increasingly encouraged to face this challenge of the future.
