A new Canadian report is reinforcing that the gender gap exists even when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace — pointing to a need for employers to rethink their AI strategies.
About two in three Canadians (64%) report using AI in the past year, with men using it more than women (68% vs. 61%).
And currently, 46% of women who use AI in their jobs are concerned about facing negative consequences from doing so, compared with 40% of men.
“The findings show that women approach technology in the workplace differently than men and point to the need for better support, training, and resources to help everyone feel confident using new technology,” according to Monday Girl, which did the survey.
Gender gaps with AI use in Canada
Only 36% of women feel confident using AI tools, and 39% feel comfortable, compared with 52% and 53% of men, respectively.
Also, 47% of women feel intimidated by AI tools, versus only 33% of men. And 45% of women feel confused when using AI tools, versus only 37% of men.
A previous report noted that women are less likely to use ChatGPT compared with men in the same occupation.
“Women aren’t lacking ability; they’re lacking access. Access to tools, training, and environments where they’re encouraged to experiment and take risks. These findings confirm what we’ve heard from our community for years,” said Rachel Wong and Istiana Bestari, co‑founders of Monday Girl.
Another report also noted that as AI transforms jobs, women face greater disruption and fewer opportunities.
AI and gender bias
Previously, the United Nations (UN) Women organisation warned that AI can be used to perpetuate gender bias.
“At its core, AI is about data. It is a set of technologies that enable computers to do complex tasks faster than humans. AI systems, such as machine learning models, learn to perform these tasks from the data they are trained on. When these models rely on biased algorithms, they can reinforce existing inequalities and fuel gender discrimination in AI,” said the organisation.
Gender bias in AI has deep consequences in real life, explains Zinnya del Villar, a leading expert in responsible AI, as quoted in an article posted on the UN Women website.
“In critical areas like healthcare, AI may focus more on male symptoms, leading to misdiagnoses or inadequate treatment for women,” shares del Villar. “Voice assistants defaulting to female voices reinforce stereotypes that women are suited for service roles, and language models like GPT and BERT often associate jobs like ‘nurse’ with women and ‘scientist’ with men.”
Here are five steps employers can take to promote more inclusive AI systems, according to UN Women:
- Using diverse and representative data sets to train AI systems
- Improving the transparency of algorithms in AI systems
- Making sure AI development and research teams are diverse and inclusive to avoid blind spots
- Adopting strong ethical frameworks for AI systems
- Integrating gender-responsive policies in developing AI systems
Recently, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) noted that women are disproportionately exposed to GenAI because of three main reasons:
- Overrepresentation in jobs most susceptible to automation
- Underrepresentation in AI-related and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations
- Existing gender biases reflected in AI systems
“The higher exposure of women is closely linked to entrenched occupational segregation and the systemic barriers that sustain it,” ILO said in a brief.
“Discriminatory social and legal norms and biases in recruitment, promotion and workplace practices, and macroeconomic and sectoral policies often shape labour markets in ways that have implications for women’s equality of opportunities and treatment.”