Historic gender bias has long placed women at heightened risk of social and economic disadvantage, a situation now deepened by the rapid rise of unregulated automated decision-making. 

This policy brief issued by the Working with Women Alliance in July 2025 examines how the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models is amplifying risks to women’s economic equality in Australia. Drawing on recent evidence from employment, financial and housing sectors, this report provides gender-responsive recommendations for regulation and oversight. It offers targeted strategies to mitigate algorithmic discrimination and ensure that the benefits of AI innovation are shared equitably by women and other marginalised groups.

BPW Australia is a member of the national Working with Women Alliance, but individual BPW members and clubs can also join.

The Alliance recommends that the government

• ·         Ensures AI research and development strategy and funding has a gender lens and prioritises the elimination and minimisation of algorithmic bias.
• ·         Ensures that employment, housing and the financial sector are classified as high-risk for the purposes of AI Safety Standards.
• ·         Considers making the AI Safety Standards, including the 10 AI Guardrails, mandatory for all sectors.
• ·         Ensures all Government AI strategies, frameworks, regulations and action plans include a gender impact statement, especially in relation to productivity.
• ·         Develops regulations for AI adoption in the private sector.
• ·         Re-establishes the Department of Industry, Science and Resources’ AI Expert Group and ensure the group has sufficient expertise and capacity to advise on the gender impacts of AI development and deployment.