The percentage of women in the workforce hit 77.7%, nearing the record high set last summer, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And despite progress in gender equalities, disparities persist: women still make 82 cents for every dollar a man makes doing the same job.
One way women can level the playing field and prepare for the work environment of tomorrow is developing in-demand and rising skills needed in the future. Enter AI, a powerful catalyst for change in addressing gender disparities in skills development.
We are currently at a pivotal moment in the implementation of AI across industries with every role expected to transform in some way. Right now, there is an enormous opportunity for women to give themselves an advantage by upskilling and reskilling with these future AI-driven roles in mind.
Not only does this have an immediate effect on women’s job potential right now, it also creates unlimited possibilities with ever-evolving technology to take on in-demand future roles. In honor of Women’s History Month, we explore how women can redesign their work futures with AI in mind.
Related content: Embracing DEI best practices is just good business. Read our research report on how AI can help organizations achieve DEI goals.
Why AI skills are — and will be — important
Technology evolution is not going to stop anytime soon. Think back to the days before the internet and how prevalent it is now. It’s not that forward-thinking to imagine that AI-based technologies will soon be an everyday work tool similar to going online, using a search engine, or uploading something to the cloud — all commonplace today, but revolutionary at the time.
Women and underrepresented groups can substantially boost job and career opportunities by developing the right AI skills now to ensure they’re ready to embrace this new work tool that will only become more integrated and widespread.
AI will be integral to taking a career to the next level for everyone. While it won’t replace every job, the people who don’t learn to work with AI will be replaced by those who do. Organizations are looking for people who can learn and use AI tools to improve every facet of work, including enhancing the creative process, everyday problem-solving, and even forecasting future needs.
With 21% of leaders struggling with technological changes due to skills gaps, learning to use AI is one way to increase demand for your skills and resilience in the workplace.
Examples of AI upskilling and reskilling
As AI will impact almost every job, upskilling or reskilling can give anyone — especially women and other underrepresented groups — an advantage in the job market. It also potentially sets anyone up to become a leader in their field.
Below, we look at the role of a sales representative — what manual tasks are being replaced by AI, and how that worker could benefit from upskilling.
The next generation of AI changes will focus on functions like reviewing sales pipelines, answering customer questions, or even finding the next best thing to offer customers. All these functions can be automated because it requires a logical progression or reasoning over data.
These are tasks that are done by workers today, but this functional-focused productivity change will use technology in a more sophisticated way to drive returns. As the pace of innovation accelerates, it will be critical to stay up-to-date with your skills.
Reducing the tech skills gap with AI
For AI-wary workers, adapting and reshaping skills will require a flexible mind-set. The other challenge is how rapidly technology evolves, as 79% of early-career workers find it challenging to keep up with the rapid pace of AI advancements.
This is where leaders play a vital role. They can identify and nurture technical and non-technical talent by making continuous learning a habit with initiatives like lunch-and-learn sessions, weekly tech webinars, or AI-focused group discussions. Upskilling women and underrepresented groups will not only empower them to meet or exceed business objectives, but it also ensures that the workforce stays agile and innovative.
The future of work will be about a human-AI collaboration, pairing emotional intelligence and abstract thinking with technology efficiency. By fostering inclusivity in this AI transformation, organizations can set themselves up for unparalleled growth. The time for action is now.
To learn more about how women can use AI to upskill and gain an advantage in their careers, read our report on building a skills-based organization.