Generative AI is no longer a future promise but a daily reality transforming the landscape of work. However, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2026), this impact is far from uniform. Women emerge as the social group with the highest exposure to these technological shifts, primarily due to their concentration in specific professional sectors.
The Statistics of Inequality
The data is revealing: 28% of women worldwide (388 million) work in professions exposed to Generative AI, compared to 21% of men (446 million). This translates to a 33% higher likelihood for women to be affected by the technology. This disparity is not driven by technical factors but by occupational segregation; women continue to dominate fields such as administrative support, secretarial roles, accounting, and customer service—areas where AI shows significant potential for automation.
Geographic and Economic Disparities
The report notes that the challenge is most acute in high-income economies. In developed nations, female exposure jumps to 41%, while male exposure stands at 28%. Conversely, in low-income countries, the overall exposure rate is limited to approximately 11%, as these economies rely less on back-office functions and financial services where AI excels at repetitive cognitive tasks.
From Replacement to Transformation
A key finding of the analysis is that AI does not necessarily lead to job replacement, but rather to task transformation. Workers are now required to develop a new generation of skills to maintain their competitive edge. Critical skills identified include:
- AI Literacy and Prompt Engineering
- Data Literacy and Digital Project Management
- Critical thinking and AI Ethics
- Effective Human-AI collaboration
The labor market is increasingly pivoting toward international certifications from providers like Microsoft, Google, IBM, and AWS, which validate the practical ability to leverage these new tools effectively.
