Will Artificial Intelligence Push More Women Out of Administrative Jobs?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming workplaces around the world, but will women bear the greatest cost of this digital revolution? That was the question Tawasul News posed to women working in administration, software engineering and data analysis after new international research suggested that women in high-income countries face significantly higher occupational exposure to generative AI than men.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), jobs held by women in high-income economies are nearly three times more likely to fall into the category of highest exposure to AI than those held by men. The report, however, stresses that higher exposure does not automatically mean job loss. In many occupations, AI is expected to reshape tasks rather than replace workers entirely.

Administrative support roles—including data entry, clerical work, accounting and office administration—are among the occupations expected to experience the greatest transformation. Similar changes are anticipated across financial services, software development, web technologies and database management.

Speaking to Tawasul News, Hassnaa said many employers have already begun raising hiring expectations as AI tools become increasingly integrated into everyday operations.

"Companies are no longer looking only for experience," she said. "Many job postings now expect applicants to understand AI-powered tools even when these skills were never part of the position before."

Software engineer Radwa believes the technology will transform work rather than eliminate it.

"Generative AI can produce code, summarize information and draft documents," she explained. "But human judgment, creativity and accountability remain essential."

Data analyst Mariam shares a similar view, arguing that full replacement of workers remains unlikely.

"The real advantage belongs to employees who know how to work alongside AI," she said. "The biggest risk isn't AI replacing people—it's trained workers replacing untrained ones."

An executive assistant working for a major corporation believes employers can narrow the gap by investing in digital training rather than replacing experienced administrative staff.

She argues that experienced employees already possess communication, organizational and decision-making skills that AI cannot easily replicate, making reskilling a smarter investment than hiring new staff.

Yasmin, however, is less optimistic. She believes office workers—particularly women—could face increasing pressure over the next decade as automation continues to expand.

Her concerns reflect findings from a UK report estimating that around 119,000 office-based jobs, most of them held by women, could become vulnerable to automation during the coming decade. While the figure applies specifically to the United Kingdom and should not be directly projected onto Canada, it illustrates a broader global trend reshaping white-collar employment.

Despite growing concerns, the ILO concludes that AI is more likely to transform jobs than eliminate them outright. Occupations requiring human judgment, ethical decision-making, complex communication and interpersonal skills remain far less susceptible to full automation.

The women interviewed by Tawasul News expressed different levels of concern, yet they agreed on one key point: access to AI training may determine who thrives in tomorrow's labour market.

For many women—particularly immigrants, older workers and those with limited financial resources—the challenge is no longer whether AI will change the workplace. It is whether they will receive the opportunity, training and support needed to keep pace with that change.