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C OM M U N I T Y C O R N E R
GENERATIVE AI AND BIAS
Bias in mainstream generative AI engines
has been well documented. ChatGPT
argues that a nurse is female and a doctor
is male, and Midjourney depicts CEOs as
male and teachers as female even when
no gender is specified.
As more organizations use AI to create
job descriptions, there is a risk that AI bias
could be reflected in job postings. For
example, using words like "strong,"
"aggressive," and "dominant" can
inadvertently signal a preference for male
candidates and may discourage women
from applying. Bias may also arise in the
More than Words
from Women in BICSI
"Generative AI and the Future of Women in IT"
By: Kim Osborne Rodriguez, RCDD, Senior Manager, IT Strategy at Ontario Power Generation
evaluation of candidates. If AI is involved
in selection and screening processes, AI
bias may prevent women from making it
through to interviews and receiving job
offers.
GENERATIVE AI AND JOB LOSS
Over the next decade, PwC is predicting
that job losses due to AI will
disproportionately affect women. In
the construction industry, PwC estimates
that approximately 16% of all jobs could
be automated by the late 2020s, with
only 13% of jobs held by men likely to be
affected versus up to 43% of jobs held by
women. This reflects the more cognitive
and routine tasks typically conducted by
women. Project management, planning,
design, and construction management are
all excellent candidates for AI automation.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. The
World Economic Forum predicts that
automation will create millions more
jobs than it eliminates. So what skills do
women need to take advantage of these
new jobs?
LEARN TO USE GENERATIVE AI
There are many examples of how women
can use AI to improve and optimize their
jobs, and it all starts with learning how to
apply AI to construction-specific roles.
The rapid rise of generative AI has many people questioning its role in our society and our work. While much
has been written about how AI will impact the future of work generally, few have investigated how AI will
affect women specifically.
