Mounting Data Suggests Automation Challenges Equity In The Workforce

As more businesses and employees incorporate artificial intelligence into company workflows, important questions related to the cultural impact of widespread automation are stacking up, too.  

This has led researchers to publish a study in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology on the disproportionate impact automation will have on equity in the workforce. More specifically, the research sheds light on how automation’s impact will vary significantly across different racial and gender backgrounds — potentially contributing to increased inequality. 

The research analyzed the automation job displacement risk for over 1.4 million Americans across 385 occupations. The data suggests that among males, Black, Hispanic, and Native American males face higher risks of job automation when compared to white males, by 5.8%, 3.9%, and 2.8%, respectively. The data reveals that Asian males are at a slightly lower risk (0.9%).  

Notably, the education of individuals emerges as an influential factor in mitigating the risks of automation. Among females, white and Black women were found to have a lower risk, at 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively. Hispanic and Asian females were revealed as facing higher risks, at 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively.  

As AI continues to advance at a rapid rate, mounting studies are predicting that the negative effects are not uniformly distributed across the workforce. The study calls for policies that ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for all workers, especially those more susceptible to the negative impacts of technological change.