Women face greater risk of job displacement from automation

Job automation is 40% more likely to affect women than men, according to research by Code First Girls and Tech Talent Charter.

With around 43% of work tasks due to become automated within the next three years, the Building tomorrow’s workforce: Inclusive skills development in the age of AI report by Code First Girls claimed women are more likely to be impacted, in part because the majority of software engineers are men so artificial intelligence (AI) is at risk of being developed with bias.

The research report claimed this can only be tackled through ongoing training, with 70% of Code First Girls members saying programmes for “upskilling” and “reskilling” are the best way to retain talent and support women in tech teams.  

“AI development, while promising, isn’t immune to human bias,” said Anna Brailsford, CEO and co-founder of Code First Girls. “With 90% of software engineers being men, there’s a risk that AI adoption may perpetuate societal biases. Inclusive reskilling is capable of releasing the fullest spectrum of our human intelligence and creativity, unhindered by the biases of the status quo. This report is a pathway for tech employers to facilitate these programmes, with inclusivity at their core.”

The pandemic and its aftermath offer a prime example of how societal biases affect women and their work before they do men’s – the pandemic saw women more likely to be furloughed and take up responsibility for caregiving when people were forced to stay home from work and school.  

Currently, there are also a higher number of women in supporting roles or performing “non-promotable” activities such as “routine administrative work, writing documents, improving team processes and establishing coding standards”, many of which are tasks AI is likely to replace. Just over 40% of Code First Girls members fear their job could be replaced by AI in the future.

AI is used by employees and individuals in a number of ways. The research found 29% of Code First Girls members use AI to automate tasks, 27% use it to improve working speed, 34% use it to complete mundane tasks and 58% use it to improve productivity, some of which could overtake tasks most often performed by women.

Inclusive reskilling is capable of releasing the fullest spectrum of our human intelligence and creativity, unhindered by the biases of the status quo

The report also highlighted how human biases are potentially being introduced during AI adoption. For example, the development of algorithms and the datasets used for training those algorithms can each be influenced by the biases of those who create them, 90% of whom are men.  

Yet the research also found that only around a quarter of businesses incorporate skills building into their corporate strategy, despite 68% of employees showing a willingness to develop their skills to secure their ongoing employment.

Women are more likely than men to be learning job-related skills whilst working, and Tech Talent Charter claimed workers are increasingly gaining skills in “non-traditional” ways, such as self-teaching or learning outside work hours.

The diversity gap in the UK technology industry persists, with many claiming greater diversity in the tech sector could also help narrow the skills gap.

The gender divide is more noticeable across certain roles and at different levels, with women only making up a quarter of CIO positions in FTSE 100 companies last year.

Code First Girls found skills – or a lack of them – to be standing in the way of businesses building a diverse senior tech team one way or another. Some 15% said their greatest challenge when trying to recruit diverse talent is a lack of diversity in the available talent pool, indicating a possible lack of access to skills for particular groups.

Just under 10% cited a “narrow recruitment focus” as one of the biggest diversity challenges in hiring for senior tech positions, although a lack of diversity in the talent pool could also point to looking in the wrong places. But 4% said a lack of training or specific skills is the reason it’s difficult to reach diversity in senior technology roles.

Code First Girls and Tech Talent Charter recommend ongoing training to prevent people, especially women, from being displaced by AI and automation, highlighting three areas of training they’ve labelled “upskilling” (updating technical skills), “reskilling” (learning a new skillset to transition within an organisation) and “external reskilling” (learning a technical skillset to switch career).

These three types of training, the report stated, can prevent people from being displaced from their jobs by either giving them new skills to stay in their current role or new skills to transition into a different role.

For example, reskilling and upskilling can help with employee retention, as more than 80% of Code First Girls members who have moved jobs said they might have stayed in their previous role had they been given the opportunity to upskill, and with women staying in roles longer while learning up-to-date skills they are more likely to progress to more senior roles.

By embracing diversity, we can unlock the full potential of emerging technologies and create a future where everyone, regardless of their background, can thrive and make meaningful contributions

Skills training and role development will look different for every individual. Citing research from McKinsey stating 375 million people will have to switch careers by 2030, Code First Girls pointed out that ongoing learning will be the only way to keep employees on top of the skills needed as technology shifts and changes.

A quarter of women in the Code First Girls community are keen to learn new things, and with 40% of members looking to switch careers, offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities could open up the talent pool while also closing the diversity gap in tech.

Karen Blake, co-CEO of Tech Talent Charter, said: “In the ever-changing landscape of technology, it is crucial to create inclusive skills programmes for the future. This goes beyond just a strategic plan – it reflects our commitment to fairness and progress. By embracing diversity, we can unlock the full potential of emerging technologies and create a future where everyone, regardless of their background, can thrive and make meaningful contributions.

“We need to be intentional in our approach to upskilling and reskilling, and create an environment that supports lifelong learning, values different skillsets and encourages individual differences. When we develop inclusive skills programmes, we are not just closing gaps, we are paving the way for progress and prosperity.”