There’s a gender gap in AI adoption rates, and it’s time to discuss what this means for the workforce. Studies have shown that despite their willingness to learn and adopt technology, women are showing a greater reluctance towards using AI than men. A report from Harvard Business School’s Associate Professor Rembrand Koning, released earlier this year, suggested that women were adopting AI at a 25% lower rate than men, despite the apparent benefits of the technology. Collectively considered with previous studies on the topic, an apparent 10-40% difference was consistently seen between the genders in terms of AI usage.
Why are women avoiding AI, and what kind of impact might it have on their careers? Bridging the AI gender gap is just as essential for employers as it is for women in the workforce, addressing the disparity that currently persists and setting things right.
ADDRESSING THE GENDER GAP IN AI USE: ALLEVIATING THE GENDER DISPARITY BENEFITS US ALL
The gender gap in AI use can be attributed to a couple of different things. Unlike with other issues, where access to resources might be a problem, AI technology is evenly available to all workers. Most workers who rely on independent AI use do so through freely available tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, while those who rely on company-mandated AI tools also have equal access to these tools at work.
Reportedly, one of the reasons why women are avoiding AI in their careers is due to their ethical considerations of the technology, especially with regard to being judged in the workplace. Professor Koning’s report found that women worried that relying on this artificially generated content could come across as “cheating” to get ahead in their industry. Many women already find themselves in a position of being accused of being a “DEI hire” or being ribbed as being unqualified for their roles.
By using AI, they risk furthering allegations of relying on technology rather than their own merits to get the job done. Such concerns don’t weigh as heavily on their male counterparts. There are likely other reasons for this disparity as well. For example, many of the recreational uses of AI also tend to favor male interests and preferences. This means that outside of work as well, men are more likely to turn to AI for conversation and creation, and grow more comfortable with its operations.
WHY SHOULD BRIDGING THE AI GENDER GAP BE A PRIORITY?
The AI gender gap paradox is one that will become hard to break out of if allowed to continue. Women hesitating to use AI could find themselves falling further behind their male counterparts. Without using AI, they might find themselves considered less “productive” or efficient compared to male colleagues who can churn out work faster by relying on available tools.
With women already leaving the workforce en masse, the opportunities available to them could start to shrink when organizations specifically look out for AI experts to fill most roles. Out of the workforce long enough, over time, they could find themselves losing access to these tools and training, falling further behind. Organizations also lose out on the talent and expertise they bring to the table, solely because of their lower familiarity with AI tools.
In addition, with more men using AI than women, these AI tools could also grow more skewed as their interactions with users make up a part of their learning process. These tools could slowly grow to become more male-centered, operating specifically from their insights. This would only serve to widen the AI gender gap. Women avoiding AI in their careers might have valid reasons to do so, but with the prominence of the technology, it may be impossible to avoid it on the job.
BRIDGING THE AI GENDER GAP FALLS TO BOTH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
Employers need to establish their own policies on AI use. Ambiguity can hurt businesses and result in unsupervised AI slop making its way into the work that is performed. Employers need to take a clear stance on whether AI usage is allowed within the workplace and evenly provided access to all employees. If both women and men are expected to use AI work, there is little reason for women to worry about accusations of cheating.
When it comes to training, in 2025, providing training or support for one section of the population when a gap is identified can backfire on employers. Instead, employers need to explore training and upskilling opportunities for all their employees evenly to ensure that workers are all up-to-date on the latest technology being utilized by the business. Growth for all is the best way to drive towards success, and closing the AI gender gap can ensure that existing employees feel comfortable exploring the tools and resources available to them to their full capacity.