share on
- AI is reshaping opportunity unevenly: Women remain over-represented in roles most exposed to automation, while men dominate emerging AI-driven positions, putting future leadership pipelines at risk.
- AI participation and progression gaps are widening: Women’s more deliberate adoption of AI, combined with limited access to training and internal mobility, reduces visibility and slows career advancement.
- Workforce readiness is lagging behind AI adoption: Rapid, tech-led implementation without inclusive governance or strong HR–tech collaboration risks embedding existing gender inequalities into AI strategies.
Men dominate roles where AI is creating new opportunities, while women remain concentrated in administrative and service functions most at risk of being replaced by automation. At the same time, the proportion of women progressing into leadership roles across many APAC markets is either stagnating or declining.
That is amongst the nine truths shared by Singapore-based not-for-profit gender advocacy group NINEby9 at a recent event attended by HRO where it launched its latest report, AI and the Future of Women in the Workplace. The study examines how rapid AI adoption is reshaping women’s participation and advancement across the region.
Women over-represented in roles most exposed to automation
One of the key truths highlighted in the research is that AI is reshaping work unevenly. While some jobs are being displaced, others are being augmented or newly created. Despite this, women are not evenly represented across these shifts.
Across Singapore and Australia, women occupy around 10% more roles in occupations most disrupted by AI compared with men.
Speakers at the event noted that this uneven exposure places women at greater risk of job disruption, while limiting access to roles where AI is enhancing productivity and long-term career value.
An AI participation gap is already emerging
Another truth shared by NINEby9 points to a growing participation gap in AI-enabled roles. Men continue to dominate areas where AI is creating new career opportunities, while women remain concentrated in functions most vulnerable to automation.
In 2024, women held just 24.4% of managerial roles globally and only 12.2% of C-suite positions in STEM-related fields such as technology and digital transformation. In several APAC countries, progress has slowed, with some markets showing early signs of regression.
The concern raised at the event was not only about representation today, but about how these patterns shape future leadership pipelines.
A measured approach that often goes unrecognised
The research also found that women tend to adopt AI more deliberately. Senior business leaders across APAC shared that women often prioritise clarity, fairness and competence when engaging with AI tools.
However, recognition frequently goes to early and visible experimentation rather than responsible and effective application. Nearly 59% of women said they are waiting for clear organisational AI policies before adopting AI tools, reflecting a cautious approach that may limit visibility in fast-moving environments.
Organisations implementing AI without workforce foresight
Another truth emerging from the study is that many organisations are implementing AI at speed, while workforce implications lag behind.
Nearly half of APAC companies reported that AI adoption is primarily controlled by IT functions, signalling a technology-led mindset. At the same time, 42% of employees across the region said they have received no AI training or guidelines from their employers.
Speakers at the event noted that this lack of coordination increases the risk that AI adoption reinforces existing inequalities rather than addressing them.
External hiring eclipses internal development
Demand for AI skills has surged, yet internal mobility remains limited. Job postings requiring AI experience have tripled since 2020, but fewer than 15% of roles are filled through internal moves.
While most workers are willing to learn new AI skills, only a small proportion of organisations have launched large-scale reskilling initiatives. This reliance on external hiring, the research suggests, reduces opportunities for women already under-represented in AI-adjacent roles to transition into emerging positions.
Self-driven upskilling models under-serve women
Another truth highlighted is how current learning models may unintentionally disadvantage women. AI training programmes are often optional, self-paced and conducted after working hours — formats that disadvantage those balancing greater unpaid care responsibilities.
Women account for only about one-third of AI course enrolments and are far more likely to enrol in beginner rather than intermediate programmes. In Singapore, business leaders cited lack of time for reskilling as the top barrier to becoming a skills-based organisation.
Gen Z women face shrinking entry pathways
The impact of AI on entry-level roles emerged as a critical concern. As automation affects junior positions first, Gen Z women risk losing foundational entry points into higher-value, AI-enabled careers.
Since early 2024, global job postings for entry-level roles have declined sharply, particularly in high-growth sectors such as technology and finance. The research also shows that young women are less likely than their male peers to have received AI training, compounding long-term career risks.
HR optimism outpaces readiness
HR leaders across APAC recognise the potential of AI, particularly in learning and workforce planning. However, many feel under-equipped to lead AI-driven transformation.
More than half of HR respondents cited insufficient AI expertise as the top challenge preventing them from shaping AI strategy. While awareness of AI’s benefits is high, implementation remains limited, highlighting a gap between intent and capability.
Collaboration between HR and tech leaders remains critical
The final truth shared by NINEby9 highlights the need for stronger collaboration between HR and technology leaders. AI is not just a technology shift, but a workforce transformation requiring shared ownership.
Organisations that invest more heavily in people and processes alongside technology tend to achieve stronger outcomes. Yet fewer than 1% of APAC organisations have implemented responsible AI frameworks that take a long-term, systemic approach.
Inclusion must be designed from the start
As discussed in a panel at the event (panellists pictured above, listed below), AI has the potential to accelerate both innovation and inclusion. However, without deliberate action, the benefits risk being unevenly distributed across genders and roles.
For organisations navigating AI transformation, the message from NINEby9’s research was clear: inclusion cannot be retrofitted. It must be intentionally built into AI strategies from the outset to ensure the future of work does not replicate past inequalities.
“The C-Suite, including HR and technology leaders, must be aligned, collaborate with one another and communicate with stakeholders to unlock the full potential of people, process and technology to benefit the business,” shared Christine Fellowes, Co-Founder and Chairperson, NINEby9.
The research and framework are drawn by data from sources including LinkedIn, the World Economic Forum, Coursera, BCG, HRD, Accenture, Workday Research, Randstad, the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Harvard Business Review, and Cegos.
ALSO READ: NTUC LHUB launches leadership academy to advance human skills that complement AI
Lead image / NINEby9
From left to right: (1) Christine Fellowes, Co-Founder of NINEby9, (2) Mei May Soo, Chief AI, Global Solution Specialist , Dell Technologies, (3) Mukul Anand, Managing Director, HR Leader at HSBC, (4) Pei Ying Chua, APAC Head Economist, LinkedIn, (5) Ineet Narula, Leadership & Talent Lead APAC at Bain & Company
share on
