February Article of the Month

Our February article of the month considers the impacts of new technologies on the gender aspects of the organisation of work, in particular in the professional sector. Technologies such as AI and machine learning are very likely to have material impacts on workplace structures and dynamics. But given the existing gendered inequalities present in the starting conditions, the authors argue, these impacts are likely to affect men and women differently. Despite the clear importance of this question, this paper adds to a notably small literature on it. It does, however, herald our forthcoming (midyear 2025) Themed Collection on Gender and Work Emerging Issues. While the argument is essentially speculative, the paper does provide a valuable framework for categorising the impacts of the new technologies that are expected by the legal professionals interviewed. There are both up and downside risks outlined clearly, and policymakers would do well to note that the power to manage these risks is greatest at the onset of these changes.