Advisor talks about information that makes a CV more attractive Stacey Duguid says she believes AI-based recruitment tools are putting middle-aged women at a disadvantage Reproduction/BBC Brazil The fear of becoming expendable due to advances in artificial intelligence is shared by millions of workers, but do AI-based recruitment tools pose a specific threat to women trying to return to the job market? After a decades-long career, with high-level corporate roles in the fashion sector and a period as a freelancer, Stacey Duguid, 52, decided to look for "one last job". What followed was 16 months of sending out "a plethora" of CVs, receiving little more than a few automated responses, despite never having had difficulty finding work before. Feeling "lonely and ashamed" and wondering if the problem lay within herself, she posted a message on social media asking if other women her age were going through the same experience. The response was overwhelming: thousands of women reported facing similar difficulties. Stacey, who lives in north London, says she believes AI-powered recruitment tools could be contributing to the problem and decided to "Botox" her CV by removing references to her age and experience. "AI is a mirror of society. It reflects our biases," she said. "I'm not saying this is an issue exclusive to women, as I've also received messages from men. My point is about gender ageism." A blow to confidence Since then, the BBC has spoken to more than 60 women, aged between 40 and 65 and from different sectors, who have faced difficulties finding work. Most have decades of experience in high-level roles and report sending out countless resumes, only receiving automated rejections or no response at all. Like Stacey, many believe that AI-based recruiting tools have a role to play in this situation. Koeyli Jaluka says that, after applying for more than 400 vacancies, her self-confidence was shaken Reproduction/BBC Brasil Koeyli Jaluka, aged 49, held leadership positions in the industrial, corporate and health sectors. "I've never been in this situation before. For the last 10 to 12 years, I was approached by recruiters. Now, I'm the one looking for jobs and I receive successive rejections." After being laid off nine months ago, she applied for 442 vacancies, but received feedback in very few cases. Occasionally she is told that she is "very senior"—which she interprets as a euphemism for "old." Despite two decades of experience and two degrees, she says her self-confidence has been shaken. 'They didn't even call me to eat': understand what corporate loneliness is and how it can affect your career She says she believes that tighter budgets, artificial intelligence screening and increasingly strict hiring criteria contribute to this scenario. “Many of us have been told by career consultants to remove the first ten years of work experience from our CVs, just to avoid giving the impression that we have been working too long.” 'I'm receiving unemployment benefit' Anna Cowie says she has already lost count of how many CVs she sent Reproduction/BBC Brazil Anna Cowie, aged 52, had a 30-year career in advertising, but has been unemployed for almost four years. She lost count of how many resumes she sent out, despite never having been without a job before. After decades of working for big brands, she is now receiving unemployment benefits. Anna began volunteering at community festivals and discovered that networking with real people is a much more promising approach. "You are seen as a human being, not just lines on a paper." 'Huge repercussions' While in many cases it is impossible to know whether AI tools played a role in screening or rejecting candidates — as employers rarely disclose details of their recruitment processes — there is widespread concern that these tools are harming middle-aged women. The London-based Women Pivoting to Digital taskforce, which focuses on women in the financial services sectors, has raised concerns about the increasing use of AI in recruitment and its impact on women. The group's president, Caroline Haines, said research carried out by the task force revealed significant concerns that the AI ??used to screen applications and CVs does not recognize the skills that many experienced women can offer. Caroline Haines says there is concern that the AI ??used in recruitment does not take into account the skills of many women. For example, women who have taken time off work to care for their children may have gaps in their resumes that some AI-based screening systems could interpret negatively. More than 2.5 million women did not work to care for relatives or do domestic tasks, says IBGE In a broader perspective, the working group estimates that AI and automation could eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs held by women by 2035. Based on data from the report Market and Skills Projections: 2020 to 2035, the group estimates that, without significant investments in reskilling, companies could face termination costs in excess of £750 million, the equivalent of around R$5.2 billion. In a recent survey carried out by the working group on the