ILO Data: Generative AI Exposure in Female-Dominated Roles Reaches 29%

Recent research indicates that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to affect female-dominated professions at nearly double the rate of male-dominated ones. According to a March 2026 research brief from the International Labour Organization (ILO), 29% of occupations typically held by women are exposed to generative AI, compared to 16% for those held by men.

In high-income nations, the disparity is even more pronounced. The ILO data suggests that 16% of women’s roles fall into the “high automation risk” category, while only 3% of men’s roles face the same level of immediate threat. This gap is largely attributed to the heavy concentration of women in administrative, clerical, and support roles—sectors that prioritize the linguistic and data-processing tasks that current AI models perform most efficiently.

Historical Parallels: The Automated Switchboard

The current anxiety surrounding AI mirrors previous waves of “pink-collar” automation. Between the 1920s and 1940s, AT&T systematically rolled out “dial service,” an automated technology that replaced tens of thousands of female telephone operators. At its peak in 1950, switchboard operation was a cornerstone of female employment in the United States; approximately 350,000 women worked in the role, representing one in every 13 working women in the country. Within decades, the role was virtually erased by technology.

The transition from manual switchboards to automated dialing systems in the early 20th century serves as a historical parallel to current AI-driven shifts.

However, history also suggests that technology-driven shifts in office work do not always result in a net loss of income for those who remain. Analysis of the late 20th-century personal computer revolution by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that while administrative software led to a decline in total clerical job counts, it simultaneously created a “wage premium.” College-educated women in administrative roles saw their wages increase by 3% as they transitioned from manual record-keeping to managing complex software systems.

The Representation Gap in AI Development

While women face the highest risks from AI implementation, they remain underrepresented in the development of the technology itself. Data for 2026 shows that women comprise approximately 30% of the global AI workforce, a figure that has remained largely stagnant for a decade. This lack of representation in technical roles may influence how AI tools are designed and deployed within the administrative sectors they are most likely to disrupt.

The broader timeline for workplace equality remains extended. The World Economic Forum estimates it will take another 123 years to reach full global gender parity. As AI continues to automate clerical tasks, the immediate outcome for the workforce may depend less on the total number of jobs lost and more on whether the remaining roles transition into higher-paying, tech-augmented positions, similar to the shift seen during the PC era.

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