LATINO WORKERS WORKING TO OVERCOME A TECHNOLOGICAL DIVIDE BROUGHT ON BY AUTOMATION AND AI

As jobs become more reliant on technology some Latino workers can be left behind due to a lack of digital skills exacerbated by a lack of accessibility.

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Latinos remain an integral part of jobs in agriculture, construction, retail and food services but these jobs are also at risk of automation, leaving some Latinos unprepared for a changing role that relies more on technology, according to a new report by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Analysis from the UCLA Latino Policy Institute shows Latinos are overrepresented in fields at risk of automation. The report also provides some suggestions on how to improve Latino economic mobility.

“This report sheds light on a critical but often overlooked reality: Automation is not just a technological issue but an equity issue, said Misael Galdámez, co-author of the report, “On the Frontlines: Automation Risks for Latino Workers in California.”

“Latino workers are on the frontline of automation risk, facing barriers like limited English proficiency, low digital access and educational gaps,” Galdámez said.

Valerie Gills, 32, spent three years as a receptionist at a hotel in Phoenix, but in 2023, the hotel set up self-check kiosks and installed AI-powered chatbots on its website to handle reservations and requests. The changes made it clear that Gills was no longer essential.

“I knew businesses were always trying to improve efficiency,” she said, “but it seemed to me as though technology was taking opportunities away from us.”

Gills eventually lost her job. She found temporary positions but nothing as stable as her hotel job had been. Her employment troubles weighed on her mental health and “reminded me how weak workers like me can be when industries get everything automated.”