The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into knowledge-based work environments is transforming the nature of professional tasks and reshaping perceptions of career stability. As AI tools increasingly mediate information retrieval, communication, and content creation, the question arises: who benefits from this transformation, and who risks being excluded? Although digitalization is often viewed as a neutral or empowering force, adaptation to AI technologies is shaped by structural gendered inequalities. The present study explores how AI adoption, digital competencies, and actual task performance relate to perceived job security among men and women in Israel’s salaried workforce.

A total of 193 participants took part in an experimental simulation requiring them to complete a practical information synthesis task relevant to their professional context. Participants could choose either Google or ChatGPT (version 3.5, free access) to complete the task, and their written outputs were evaluated by trained research assistants using a structured rubric addressing coherence, clarity, and relevance. Following the task, participants completed a questionnaire assessing their perceived job security, frequency of AI use, and self-rated digital skills across four domains: communication, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Hierarchical regressions were conducted separately by gender. Among men, none of the models reached statistical significance. The findings show that men in central areas reported greater occupational uncertainty. In contrast, among women, the models were statistically significant, and several variables showed meaningful associations with perceived job security. Older age, higher education, and higher task performance in the AI-mediated activity were positively associated with job security. Digital problem-solving skills were also positively related to job security, while digital communication skills demonstrated a significant negative association. Creativity and critical thinking were unrelated to the dependent variable, and the choice between ChatGPT and Google had no independent effect.

These findings indicate that job security in the AI era is not solely a matter of access to technology or use of AI tools - it is closely tied to the ability to effectively integrate these tools into meaningful task performance. Crucially, this ability appears to matter more for women than for men. The gendered disparity in predictive patterns suggests that AI may act as an amplifier of existing inequalities rather than a neutral innovation. While women who demonstrated effective use of AI-supported problem-solving gained a stronger sense of job security, others may feel increasingly vulnerable in digitally transformed workplaces. Conversely, the absence of significant predictors among men points to different mechanisms, perhaps related to occupational role expectations or resilience to change.

This study contributes to the growing body of literature on AI and digital labor by emphasizing the need to view AI adoption through a gender lens. As AI tools become ubiquitous in professional contexts, equitable adaptation requires more than digital training—it demands recognition of how performance is evaluated, internalized, and linked to employment outcomes across gender lines. Addressing these disparities is essential for ensuring that AI-enhanced workplaces promote, rather than erode, inclusion and job stability.

Keywords: 21-st century digital skills, AI adoption, job security, gender inequality, ChatGPT.