News Story

Assessing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Gender Pay Gap

Thursday 29 Jan 2026

A new KMi research project, funded by Responsible AI UK, is investigating the impact of AI innovations on the gender pay gap. Led by Prof Miriam Fernandez, the project brings together the Centre for Protecting Women Online in collaboration with Politecnico di Torino, The Fawcett Society, and Nokia Bell Labs.

As AI continues to reshape organisational practices, it is essential to build robust evidence on how these technologies may either reinforce or reduce existing pay inequalities. The project aims to inform practical, policy‑relevant decisions on how such disparities can be addressed.

This work builds on significant existing research, particularly the study by Nokia Bell Labs and Politecnico di Torino, which links nearly 25,000 U.S. AI patents to detailed O*NET job‑task descriptions to assess AI’s impact on occupations¹.

It also draws on the deep expertise and long-standing advocacy of The Fawcett Society, whose work has consistently highlighted gender‑based pay inequalities in the UK².

Professor Fernandez notes: “We hope this collaboration can contribute new evidence to mitigate pay inequality, which remains one of the most persistent forms of gender discrimination, shaping women’s lifetime earnings, opportunities, and economic security.”