For years, experts have warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will most likely automate entry level jobs and replace low skilled workforce- factory workers, admin, sales, cashiers, writers being the most vulnerable. 

But new research is telling a different story.

According to Anthropic’s latest report Labour Market Impacts of AI: A New Measure and Early Evidence, 2026, instead of hitting the lowest-paid jobs first, generative AI is affecting many white-collar professions—jobs that require education, experience, communication skills, and data analysis. 

In fact, workers in the most exposed occupations today are often older, highly educated, better paid, and more likely to be women.

This surprising trend is changing how economists and policymakers think about the future of work.

AI Is Changing Professional Work

Generative AI tools can write emails, summarize documents, analyze data, create reports, and even write computer code. Because of these abilities, they are especially useful in office environments where people spend much of their time working with information.

According to Microsoft Research Report, The Jobs Most Exposed to Generative AI. 2023, jobs that involve reading, writing, and organizing data are now seeing the biggest impact from AI.

Some of the professions most affected include:

• Computer programmers
• Customer service representatives
• Data entry workers
• Financial analysts
• Market research analysts

In these jobs, AI tools are often used to speed up everyday tasks. For example, a programmer can use AI to generate code, a customer service worker can use AI to draft responses, and an analyst can use AI to summarize research.

This does not necessarily mean that workers are being replaced. Instead, AI is often helping workers complete tasks faster.

However, this growing use of AI also means that these professions are becoming the most exposed to automation.

Also Read: Anthropic Names Most AI-Exposed Jobs; Gap Between Capability and Reality Is Vast

A Surprising Pattern in Who Is Affected

One of the most surprising findings from recent studies is the type of workers who are most exposed to AI. Research shows that employees in highly exposed occupations tend to be older, more educated, and better paid than average workers (Anthropic, 2026). 

Workers in these professions share several common characteristics:

• They are more likely to be older
• They are more likely to be female
• They are more likely to have higher education, including graduate degrees
• They earn higher salaries than average workers

In other words, the people most exposed to AI are often the opposite of what many expected.

For example, workers in high-exposure jobs earn significantly more than workers in jobs with little exposure to AI. This is because many of these roles require specialized knowledge, advanced education, and professional training.

These jobs are not disappearing overnight. But they are being reshaped by technology.

Why Highly Educated Workers Are More Exposed

It might seem strange that workers with advanced education are more exposed to AI. After all, education is usually seen as protection against automation.

But generative AI is designed to handle language and information, which are central to many professional jobs.

Think about the daily tasks of a lawyer, analyst, consultant, or marketing specialist. Much of their work involves- writing reports, reviewing documents, summarizing research, analyzing data and communicating ideas clearly. These are exactly the types of tasks that generative AI can assist with.

Speaking to AI FrontPage, Preeti Choudhary, AI Data Analyst for Tech Mahindra, says, “AI may automate certain repetitive tasks, but human understanding, judgement and context are still very important. I believe the key is for professionals to keep upskilling so that we can guide AI systems and ensure that they produce meaningful and accurate outcomes.”

Why Women Are More Affected

Another important finding is that women are more likely than men to work in jobs that are exposed to generative AI.

This happens largely because of how different professions are distributed between men and women.

Women are heavily represented in many administrative and clerical roles, such as:

• Secretaries
• Receptionists
• Payroll clerks
• Administrative assistants
• Office managers

These jobs often involve tasks like scheduling meetings, organizing documents, responding to emails, and managing records.

Generative AI can perform many of these tasks quickly and efficiently. As a result, these occupations are more exposed to automation.

Because of this occupational pattern, female-dominated professions tend to face higher exposure to AI.

“Access to learning opportunities will be very important and especially things like AI training programs, workshops, mentorship, and career transition support. I strongly believe that with the right guidance, inclusive training programs, and supportive workplace policies, more women can confidently participate in and contribute to the AI-driven future,” said Choudhary.

The Age Factor

Many people assume that younger workers will be the most affected by AI. But research suggests that mid-career and experienced workers are often the most exposed.

This is because experienced professionals usually hold positions where they manage projects, analyze information, and produce reports.

These responsibilities involve exactly the kinds of tasks that AI tools can help with.

For example:

• A senior analyst may use AI to process large amounts of data.
• A project manager may use AI to draft summaries and updates.
• A software engineer may use AI to review or generate code.

They can complete tasks faster and focus more on decision-making and strategy. However, this productivity boost may also reduce the need for large teams of junior workers.

The Gap Between Digital and Physical Jobs

Another clear pattern is the difference between digital jobs and physical jobs. Generative AI works best with text, data, and digital information. Because of this, office jobs are much more exposed to AI than hands-on work.  Many physical jobs are safe from current AI technology including Electricians, Plumbers, Construction workers, Mechanics and Nurses.

These professions are much harder for AI systems to perform. You may see rapid change in office jobs, while hands-on professions remain more stable.

“Like any technological shift, AI brings both opportunities and challenges. Rather than being gender-specific, the impact often depends on access to education, training, and opportunities,” added Choudhary.

The Risk of Bias and Inequality

Another important concern is that AI systems can sometimes reflect biases present in the data used to train them.

For example, studies have found that some AI models associate women more often with domestic roles and men with leadership positions.

“The underrepresentation of women as CEOs in AI reflects a broader pipeline challenge. Leadership is built on years of technical experience, yet fewer women enter and remain in technology and AI fields. To see more women leading AI companies, we must first ensure more women have access to STEM education, technical roles, mentorship, and funding opportunities.” said Chinazo Anebelundu, Director of AI Solutions Delivery, Nigeria.

If these patterns influence hiring tools, workplace decisions, or financial systems, they could reinforce existing inequalities. The problem may become even more serious because women are still underrepresented in the AI industry itself. Without diverse perspectives in AI development, it becomes harder to identify and fix these issues.

For this reason, many experts argue that increasing diversity in technology fields is essential for building fair and reliable AI systems. 

“When more women participate meaningfully in building AI, it naturally expands the pathway to leadership. Strengthening this foundation is essential not just for equity, but for building AI systems that reflect and serve the full diversity of our societies,” said Chinazo.

AI is Changing Work, Women Must Spearhead the Change

The rise of generative AI is still in its early stages, and its long-term impact on the labor market remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the technology is affecting workers, especially women, in unexpected ways. Be it entry level jobs like data training or decision making roles, women are vulnerable to this systemic workforce shift.

Training programs, fair workplace policies and technology development will play an important role in shaping how AI affects society. The future of work will not depend on what AI can do. It will depend on how people choose to use it—and who gets the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Also Read: Women in AI: Closing the Gap from Global South Up