News Story

KMi research informs parliamentary debate on AI, labour, and gender inequality

Tuesday 21 Apr 2026

KMi’s Prof Miriam Fernandez was recently invited to contribute to a roundtable discussion at the UK Parliament organised by Fawcett Society in collaboration with the Misogyny & AI Network. The discussion brought together MPs, peers, barristers, trade unions, researchers, civil servants, and women’s sector leaders to discuss artificial intelligence and its impact on women’s lives.

Representing the Centre for Protecting Women Online (CPWO) and KMi, Prof Fernandez presented the results of a Responsible Ai UK funded project in which the team explored how AI is shaping the labour market, with a particular focus on its implications for the gender pay gap and the future of women’s work. Key takeaways, and policy recommendations are outlined in a working paper. In particular, the report highlights the disproportionate risk for women in the most vulnerable positions and recommends targeted upskilling programs for women in occupations with high AI exposure, particularly in healthcare, administrative and professional service roles.

This engagement builds on KMi’s strengths in Responsible AI, socio‑technical systems, and data‑driven social research, demonstrating how rigorous academic work can inform real‑world policy debates. By connecting research evidence to decision‑makers, the work supports The Open University’s mission to deliver research with clear public value, contributing to fairer labour markets, better AI governance, and a more equitable digital future.