AI Risk for Female Employees in Tech and Finance: City of London Report Warns
A new report published by the City of London Corporation reveals that the proliferation of artificial intelligence and automation in the technology and finance sectors could disproportionately affect female employees. According to the report, this digital transformation risks deepening existing gender inequalities.
AI Risk That Could Deepen Gender Inequality in Tech and Finance
While digital transformation in the technology and finance sectors advances with promises of efficiency and innovation, the latest report from the City of London Corporation highlights a significant social risk. The report warns that female employees could be more affected than their male counterparts by potential job losses resulting from the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies. This situation carries the potential to further exacerbate the existing imbalances in gender representation, particularly within these sectors.
Key Report Findings and High-Risk Areas
The report analyzes the tasks most expected to be impacted by automation. In the technology and finance sectors, routine data entry, certain levels of administrative work, standard parts of customer service, and some mid-level analytical processes stand out as the areas most susceptible to replacement by AI tools and robotic process automation (RPA). Historically, it is known that the proportion of female employees in such positions has been higher. Therefore, while technological progress may appear neutral, due to the existing labor market structure, it can create a greater risk of unemployment for women.
"A Dual Threat": Existing Inequalities and Future Jobs
Experts interpret the situation as a "dual threat." On one hand, current roles with high female concentration are at risk of automation, while on the other hand, female representation remains quite low in the new, future jobs being created in the AI and technology fields (such as AI specialist, data scientist, machine learning engineer). Technology news sites in Turkey and global reports also frequently emphasize that the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields persists. This creates a significant barrier for women transitioning from jobs lost to automation to newly created high-skilled positions.
Proactive measures are urgently needed to address this emerging challenge. The report suggests that stakeholders, including corporations and policymakers, must develop strategies focused on reskilling and upskilling programs tailored for female employees. Furthermore, increasing female participation in STEM education and AI-related fields is critical to ensuring a more equitable transition into the future of work.
