AI is a blessing, but also a curse for women in the print and creative industry. How do we survive the biggest impact on jobs since electrical power became a thing?
I love AIs. In the many Apps I tried out since about 2021, in my Adobe Creative Suite, and even in this fancy Taiwanese portal that lets me create those pretty anime-style illustrations. I am in awe of Microsoft Copilot and Gemini.
Most of us will have played around with AI tools at this point. We know how much repetitive work they can do for us. Helping to remove backgrounds in pictures, analysing Excel sheets of marketing data, checking customer files, or creating concise emails.
In many companies in the industry, AI has not yet been formally introduced. This means employees are free to toy around with AI tools, optimizing their workload. If you ever used an AI design tool to create, did you feel empowered by how smoothly and quickly you got the job done?
If this rings true for a print or design Pro, just imagine how enabling this must feel to a layperson? Can you anticipate the impact that easy-to-use illustration and design tools could have on custom and small-scale textile and interior design printing?
But, alas, not all is sunshine and roses with AI. In fact, I believe women in the printing and creative industry will be hit harder than most. We have seen the value of bread-and-butter design, photo, and illustrations crumbling for years.
Many jobs have been lost this way, and as the number of women on the “lower decks” of the industry is disproportional, many have lost their jobs. Pre-press automation took loads, too. With the growing number of AI-powered flight-check and data preparation solutions, hardly any humans will be required in just a few years.
Yes, some of us will become well-paid experts in setting up AI bots and automated workflows in the printing and creative industry. Most of us will not, lacking skill, talent, or just time to study after a challenging job and chores.
Switching industries is it, then? AI hiring agents are screening for these streamlined resumes that many women just cannot come up with due to… life. Job hunting within the print and creative industry might be even more challenging. With its fast innovation, many women´s skills have been acquired on the job. Talking to an HR representative in person might still clarify that you are a perfect fit despite a severe lack of a diploma. Only, you never get to meet a real person.
AI is incredibly empowering to women in the printing and creative industry. As AI seeps into almost any part of daily life, it will probably also turn out to be the biggest threat to the general workforce. It is therefore essential for women in the industry to campaign for regulation to help mitigate the impact of AI. Because we are just the canary in the coal mine.
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About the author: Sonja Angerer is the owner of Rrrabbitproductions, an editor’s office with a focus on digital printing, sign-making, and tech. She holds a diploma in graphic design and served as Editor-in-Chief for German print industry trade magazines. Today, she publishes in German and English for European print and online trade publications, including Fespa.com and Swiat Druku, also giving presentations about digital printing in Central European markets.
