AI Is Coming for "Women's Work"—And Nobody's Talking About It

Okay, let's unpack this—because the narrative around AI and jobs is doing some very convenient math.

You've seen the headlines. "AI will disrupt knowledge workers!" "ChatGPT threatens white-collar jobs!" And sure, that's part of the story. But here's what the breathless tech coverage keeps leaving out: the jobs most vulnerable to AI right now aren't the six-figure tech bros—they're the feminized, underpaid, "invisible" roles that keep every office and call center running.

Clerical workers. Administrative assistants. Customer service reps. Data entry specialists. The people who answer your call when your insurance denies your claim. The folks scheduling appointments, processing paperwork, and making sure the machinery of corporate America doesn't grind to a halt.

According to the UN International Labour Organization, jobs traditionally done by women are more vulnerable to AI disruption than those done by men—especially in high-income countries. We're talking about 1.4 million US jobs at risk by 2026. And here's the kicker: a Brookings study found that 6.1 million workers lack the "adaptive capacity" to survive this transition—meaning limited savings, advanced age, narrow skill sets, and no local job alternatives. (Translation: they're being thrown into the water without a life jacket.)

The "Empowerment" Lie

Here's where the math really isn't mathing. Corporations are selling AI as "empowering workers" and "making agents into superheroes." (Yes, that's a real quote from a CEO.) But here's what that actually looks like on the ground:

• Your call center job gets "augmented"—which means AI handles the easy calls, and you're stuck with the angry customers, the complex problems, and the same pay (or less, because "productivity").
• Your administrative role gets "streamlined"—which means you're now managing three people's worth of AI-processed work, with no raise and zero input into how the algorithm decides what counts as "efficient."
• Your data entry position gets "optimized"—which is corporate-speak for "we bought software that makes mistakes you have to fix, but we're cutting your hours anyway."

This isn't about "superheroes." This is about control. Specifically, it's about who controls your time, your metrics, and your livelihood.

The Golden Girls Had It Right (Obviously)

You know who understood this? Dorothy Zbornak. Remember when she took that job as a teacher and her principal tried to micro-manage her every move? She didn't sit there and "lean in." She organized. She pushed back. She knew that "efficiency" imposed from above without worker input is just exploitation with a spreadsheet.

The clerical and administrative workforce—disproportionately women, disproportionately Black and brown women, disproportionately older workers without college degrees—is the Dorothy Zbornak of the American economy. Keeping things running while getting zero respect. And now they're being told an algorithm can do their job better.

(Spoiler: it can't. It can just do it cheaper. And "cheaper" is the only metric that matters to the people buying the software.)

The Legislation Nobody's Talking About

Here's the part where I give you the tools—because outrage without action is just noise.

There are two bills sitting in Congress right now that would actually protect workers from AI displacement and algorithmic management. They aren't getting the viral Twitter threads, but they matter:

1. The No Robot Bosses Act

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced this bill to prohibit employers from using AI or automated systems to make employment decisions—including hiring, firing, and discipline—without meaningful human oversight. It would also require transparency when AI is being used to evaluate workers.

Why this matters: Right now, your performance review, your promotion eligibility, or your termination could be decided by an algorithm you can't see, question, or appeal. This bill says: no. Humans decide human livelihoods.

2. The Stop Spying Bosses Act

Also introduced by Casey (along with Rep. Chris Deluzio and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici), this bill would ban invasive electronic surveillance of workers—including the data collection that interferes with union organizing. It targets the "bossware" that monitors keystrokes, tracks location, and uses AI to analyze "productivity" in real time.

Why this matters: You can't organize if you're being watched. You can't push back against unfair AI metrics if your employer is logging every keystroke to "prove" you're not working hard enough. This is about dignity and collective power.

The Toolkit: What We're Doing About It

Find Your Reps:

• Senate: Call (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senators by state
• House: Find your Rep at house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
• Check Status: Both bills are currently in committee. Your calls matter.

If You're in a Vulnerable Role:

• Document everything. If your employer introduces AI "productivity" tracking, save emails, screenshot policy changes, keep a personal log of how metrics change.
• Talk to coworkers. You cannot be retaliated against for discussing working conditions. That's federal law. Use it.
• Contact the CWA or AFL-CIO. The Communications Workers of America has been organizing around AI specifically. Even if you're not in a union shop, they have resources.
• Know your "adaptive capacity." Be honest with yourself about savings, local job market, and skills. If you're at risk, start planning now—not when the layoff notice comes.

The Real Talk

Here's what keeps me up at night: we're having a national conversation about AI "disrupting" work, but we're not talking about who gets disrupted first. We're not talking about the 55-year-old administrative assistant who has 10 years until retirement and zero interest in learning Python. We're not talking about the single mom in a call center whose "augmented" role now requires her to handle twice the emotional labor for the same paycheck.

And we're definitely not talking about how "efficiency" has always been code for "cheaper," and "cheaper" has always meant finding someone—or something—you can exploit more than the last person.

AI isn't inherently evil. It's a tool. But tools get used by people with power, and right now, the power is consolidating at the top while the displacement hits the bottom.

The bills I mentioned above? They won't fix everything. But they're a start. They're a recognition that workers deserve a seat at the table when technology decides their fate. That's not radical. That's baseline dignity.

And if your employer is telling you that AI is "empowering" you while cutting your hours or automating your performance reviews? Ask them the question Dorothy would ask: "If this is so great for me, why do I feel like I'm being pushed out of my own job?"

Make them answer. Make them uncomfortable. And if they won't—organize until they have to.

---

Want the "Emergency Action" folder with scripts for talking to your boss about AI changes, templates for documenting workplace surveillance, and a layoff prep checklist? Hit reply—I'll send it directly.

In solidarity and with a lot of coffee,
Maya

P.S. — Bell Hooks walked past three different squirrels on our morning stroll and didn't lunge at any of them. Personal growth is possible. Even for pitbulls. Even for us. Now, what are we doing about it?