Special Issue: The Impact of AI on the Job Loss of Minorities
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Journal
Deadline: January 7, 2027
Guest Editors: Kim Lukaszewski, Michelle Arther, Pierre Andrieux, Richard Johnson
Submit manuscripts: On Journal Website and Scholar One
Impact of AI on Job Loss of Minorities. We Welcome your Manuscripts
Nearly a century ago, John Maynard Keynes warned of technological unemployment, where automation outpaces job creation. Although past industrial revolutions primarily
threatened blue-collar positions, the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution poses severe
threats to white-collar employment as well.
Even though there are a number of definitions of AI, most scholars view it as a computer
system that attempts to replicate human cognitive functions. AI has been shown to have
many benefits (e.g., enhancing medical diagnoses, drug discovery, self-driving vehicles,
workplace productivity), but it also has some negative consequences. For example, it is
estimated that the use of AI will cut approximately 16,000 jobs in the next few years, and
projections suggest that 22% of global jobs will face disruption by 2030. Thus, AI has the
potential to result in massive unemployment in worldwide societies.
Disproportionate Impact on Underrepresented Minorities
Although AI may have several advantages, it may also have a disproportionate negative
impact on the job displacement of underrepresented minorities. For instance,
underrepresented minorities including racial and ethnic minorities, women, older workers,
and LGBTQIA+ individuals-are uniquely vulnerable to AI-driven job loss and job
displacement because of several systemic issues. Three of those issues are:
1. Occupational Concentration: Minorities are disproportionately employed in low-
level, routine jobs (e.g., customer service, basic bookkeeping) that are more
likely to be subject to AI automation than other jobs. Thus, AI will be more likely
to replace employees in these types of jobs than higher level positions.
2. Disparities in Digital Skills: Minorities are susceptible to AI-related job loss when
many new jobs will require digital skills, and there is a disparity between
minorities and non-minorities in these skills. Minorities often have lower levels
of digital skills than non-minorities because of the digital divide, underfunded
schools, and the lack of computer training opportunities.
3. Algorithmic Biases: Minorities may be subject to AI created employment
problems from AI hiring algorithms that often unfairly discriminate against
minority applicants. The primary reason for this is that these algorithms are
trained on existing databases that are often biased.
Despite these issues, relatively little research has examined the negative consequences for
minority employees created by the use of AI. However, it is clear that AI will produce job
displacement for many workers, especially underrepresented minorities. Thus, the primary
purposes of this special issue are to:
(a) To identify the disproportionately negative effects that AI may have on the job loss
of minorities, (b) review the existing research on the topic, (c) foster theory
development and research on the impact of AI on minority job displacement, (d)
consider strategies that can be used to help minorities overcome these potential
problems, and (e) present directions for future research and practice on the disparate
effect of AI on the minorities.
Theoretical and empirical submissions are encouraged as long as they entail a novel
contribution to the literature. We especially welcome insights from outside Western,
developed, industrialized nations to gain a better understanding of AI's impact on
individuals throughout the world can be developed.