An editorial in the Irish Times newspaper last week suggested that women may be the losers when it comes to AI in the workforce. Female-dominated occupations are almost twice as likely to face disruption as male-dominated ones.
At the same time, women are also underrepresented in the very tech and AI roles expected to grow in the coming years.
This creates a worrying imbalance:
Women are more exposed to automation in existing roles, less represented in emerging AI opportunities, and facing shrinking entry-level pathways into work.
The result is not inevitable, but it is something organisations need to take seriously.
The Research Behind the Headlines
The ILO research brief, Gen AI, Occupational Segregation and Gender Equality in the World of Work, highlights how generative AI is likely to affect administrative and support roles most heavily.
These include roles such as receptionists, schedulers, administrators, customer support staff, and clerical workers.
These are also occupations where women make up a significant proportion of the workforce.
The report does not claim these jobs will disappear overnight. Instead, it shows they are highly exposed to automation and task replacement.
And we are already seeing early signs of this shift.
Ireland’s Growing AI Workforce Shift
Ireland may be particularly exposed to these changes.
According to Indeed’s 2026 Ireland Jobs and Hiring Trends Report, 11% of all Irish job postings referenced AI by the end of 2025.
That is three times higher than both the EU and US averages.
At the same time, youth unemployment in Ireland has been rising steadily since late 2024.
By December 2025, youth unemployment had reached 14.1%, marking eight consecutive monthly increases and almost 8,000 more young people unemployed compared to the previous year.
Researchers point to firms reducing entry-level hiring as one of the key drivers.
This matters because many entry-level administrative roles traditionally acted as pathways into stable employment, particularly for women and younger workers.
Those pathways are now changing.
Women Are Losing Ground in Tech Too
One possible response might be:
“If AI is changing jobs, women can move into AI and tech roles.”
But the data shows that is not happening at the pace required.
McKinsey’s Women in Tech and AI in Europe report found that women’s share of core European tech roles fell from:
- 22% in 2023
- to 19% in 2025
The steepest declines were in product development, software engineering, and entry-level technical roles.
So women are simultaneously:
- Losing ground in roles being automated
- Losing representation in roles expected to grow
That combination should concern every organisation implementing AI.
This Is Not Just a Technology Story
It would be easy to frame this purely as a gender equity issue.
It is that.
But it is also a leadership issue.
Every organisation making decisions about automation, AI tools, workflow redesign, hiring freezes, entry-level recruitment, and reskilling is actively shaping the future composition of its workforce.
AI implementation is not neutral.
If a business automates scheduling, transcription, document drafting, or customer support without a clear reskilling strategy, it may unintentionally reduce opportunities in female-dominated functions.
That does not mean organisations should avoid AI.
It means they need to think carefully about what happens next.
The Question Leaders Need to Ask
In my own work, I train professionals across marketing, communications, media, and public sector organisations.
Many of these industries are heavily female.
I am very direct with participants:
AI skills are no longer optional.
People need the confidence to use AI tools effectively, improve productivity, demonstrate new competencies, and help shape how AI is implemented inside their organisations.
The organisations that succeed will not simply automate tasks.
They will redeploy talent, reskill staff, create higher-value work, and involve employees in AI adoption.
That is where leadership matters.
AI Does Not Have to Deepen Inequality
Janine Berg, Senior Economist at the ILO and co-author of the research, made an important point.
The impact of generative AI on women’s jobs is not predetermined.
With thoughtful policies, gender-responsive design, reskilling programmes, social dialogue, and responsible leadership, organisations can avoid reinforcing existing inequality.
But these outcomes do not happen automatically.
They depend on decisions being made right now.
Final Thought
AI is already changing the workplace.
The real question is not whether organisations will adopt it.
The question is:
Who benefits from the productivity gains, and who gets left behind?
Because every AI rollout is also a workforce decision.
And the choices organisations make today will shape opportunity, inclusion, and career progression for years to come.
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Sources
- Irish Times editorial, “The Irish Times view on AI and the workplace: women could be the losers,” 11 May 2026: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorials/2026/05/11/the-irish-times-view-on-ai-and-the-workplace-women-could-be-the-losers/
- ILO research brief, “Gen AI, occupational segregation and gender equality in the world of work,” 5 March 2026: https://www.ilo.org/publications/gen-ai-occupational-segregation-and-gender-equality-world-work
- ILO press release, “New ILO data confirm women face higher workplace risks from generative AI than men,” 5 March 2026: https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/new-ilo-data-confirm-women-face-higher-workplace-risks-generative-ai-men
- Indeed Hiring Lab, “Indeed’s 2026 Ireland Jobs & Hiring Trends Report,” 27 January 2026: https://www.hiringlab.org/uk/blog/2026/01/27/indeed-2026-ireland-jobs-hiring-trends-report/
- McKinsey & Company, “Women in Tech and AI in Europe: Can the region close its gender gap?” March 2026: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-technology/our-insights/women-in-tech-and-ai-in-europe-can-the-region-close-its-gender-gap
- CSO, Labour Force Survey Quarter 2 2025: https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-lfs/labourforcesurveyquarter22025/unemployment/
- Irish Examiner, “Youth unemployment rises for eighth consecutive month to 14%,” 7 January 2026: https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-41771369.html
- Fortune, “Entry-level tech and finance workers in Ireland are losing their jobs thanks to AI,” 19 February 2026: https://fortune.com/2026/02/19/entry-level-tech-finance-jobs-ireland-us-ai-gen-z/
Key Statistics
- 29% of female-dominated occupations are exposed to GenAI, compared with 16% of male-dominated occupations (ILO, March 2026)
- 16% of female-dominated roles fall into the highest automation-risk category, against 3% of male-dominated roles (ILO)
- Women are more exposed to GenAI than men in 88% of countries analysed (ILO)
- More than 40% of women’s employment is exposed to GenAI in the UK and the Philippines (ILO)
- 11% of Irish job postings referenced AI in November 2025, three times the EU and US share (Indeed)
- Irish youth unemployment reached 14.1% by December 2025, eight consecutive monthly rises (CSO)
- EU women earn around 12% less than men and participate in the workforce at a rate roughly 10 points lower
- Women’s share of core European tech roles fell from 22% in 2023 to 19% in 2025 (McKinsey)
- Entry-level demand for women fell 17% in product development and 13% in software engineering, 2024 to 2025 (McKinsey)
About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
