Man-Versus- Machine:Gender and Technology in Discourses on the Future of Work

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyse how popular books on the future of work discuss gender and technology. Design/methodology/approach – To understand how popular books on the future of work consider gender and technology, ten books on the future of work were selected, coded and analysed. Findings – The article shows that gender and technology are imagined in the literature on the future of work in three ways: first, gender is discussed in relation to algorithmic bias; second, the man-versus-machine trope is used to articulate the epic battle for jobs in the future of work; finally, lack of women among the designers of artificial intelligence is highlighted. Originality/value – The article presents a differentiated understanding on how gender is discussed in the technology-driven future of work literature to show which aspects are neglected in those discussions.