Editorial
In boardrooms and HR strategy sessions everywhere, the talk about AI is relentless — and for good reason. AI is transforming how we work, learn and lead. Yet in the rush to adopt AI tools and integrate them into our daily operations, too many organizations are overlooking a critical issue: Women are getting left behind.
Despite AI’s growing influence, women are significantly less likely to use AI tools in professional settings. Research indicates that women adopt generative AI at a 25% lower rate than men, and women are 20% less likely to use AI technologies at work. Culturally diverse and older women have lower adoption rates even within the same roles.
This isn’t just a technical gap: It’s a leadership crisis waiting to happen.
The New Leadership Expectation
AI literacy is already a core leadership competency. Executives are increasingly evaluated on their ability to use AI to boost productivity and innovation. Leaders are expected to guide their teams through AI adoption, to make informed decisions about new tools and to understand the ethical implications of these technologies.
When women lag in AI adoption, it lessens their visibility and credibility as future leaders. This gap threatens to become yet another barrier in the leadership pipeline, compounding existing gender disparities in executive roles.
But the consequences go further. MIT estimates that using AI can boost productivity by 40%. If women aren’t using the technology, their relative lack of efficiency can limit their career growth, ultimately widening the gender pay gap. As AI reshapes industries, those who are left out of its adoption risk falling behind not only in skills but in earning potential and influence.
Why Women Are Using AI Less
This gap isn’t about talent — it’s about obstacles. Across industries, the same barriers consistently surface for women when it comes to adopting AI:
- Perception That AI Is Unethical. Many women see AI tools as “cheating” or a shortcut that will undermine their professional credibility and expose them to accusations of dishonesty or laziness. Kamales Lardi describes the persistent belief that relying on AI diminishes the value of original thought and hard-earned expertise — an especially sensitive issue for women who already feel heightened scrutiny in their professional lives.
- Trust Issues: Women often face harsher consequences when perceived as lacking expertise, making them more cautious about using tools that aren’t 100% reliable. Even as AI becomes more accurate with proper prompting, it remains imperfect. Hallucinations and responses that include fabricated information remain common. Additionally, worries about data privacy and intellectual property create hesitation.
- Time Pressure: Professional women usually have disproportionate personal responsibilities as well as more administrative duties and office housework. Finding time to explore new technologies can be challenging, particularly if leadership doesn’t make it a priority. For example, Deloitte reports that women are 22% less likely than men to feel encouraged and 30% less likely to be trained in GenAI at work.
These hesitations aren’t irrational — they’re rooted in real systemic challenges. But they’re also creating a dangerous cycle.
The Cycle of Bias: When Women’s Voices Are Missing
Here’s the part we cannot ignore: Lower AI engagement among women doesn’t just limit individual career growth — it also shapes how generative AI systems themselves evolve.
Generative AI models like ChatGPT learn and refine their outputs based on the data and human interactions they receive. When fewer women engage with AI tools, their perspectives, communication styles and professional insights become underrepresented in the feedback loops that refine AI technologies. Biased user data feeds into future AI models, perpetuating systems that “understand” men’s priorities and perspectives better than women’s. And as GenAI becomes more embedded in decision-making and communication, that bias will only deepen unless we intervene.
This is why closing the gender gap in AI literacy is a business imperative — not just a women’s issue.
The Role of HR in Bridging the Gap
So, what can HR leaders do? More than any other function, HR sits at the intersection of talent development, organizational culture and business strategy. The following actions can ensure women aren’t left behind:
- Invest in Targeted Learning: Generic tech training won’t solve this problem. HR teams should develop AI learning paths specifically designed for women, led by women who’ve successfully adopted AI tools. Peer-to-peer learning and mentoring are critical for building confidence.
- Create Safe Spaces for Experimentation: Professionals need psychological safety to try, fail and learn without judgment. HR can establish sandbox environments where employees can explore AI tools without fear of mistakes impacting their performance evaluations.
- Model Inclusive AI Use: Senior leaders — and especially women in leadership — should share stories about how they’re integrating AI into their work. Visible role models make AI adoption feel achievable and relevant.
- Track and Measure Progress: Monitor how many women are signing up for and finishing AI training. Ask employees before and after training how confident they feel using AI tools. Look at how often women are using AI at work, for what tasks and how it improves productivity.
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The Cost of Standing Still
When it comes to AI, standing still is falling behind. Organizations that fail to bridge this gender gap risk leaving talented women behind and undermining their own business performance. As Harvard's Rembrand Koning warns, “These gaps are bad for women because they’re not being as productive as they could be, but they’re also bad for the economy because we’re losing out on economic growth we could have had.”
But there’s good news: the same tools that pose a challenge also hold tremendous promise. AI can help women with repetitive tasks, amplify their creativity and close gaps in access to knowledge. But only if they’re given the tools, training and support to use it.
Inclusion can’t be an afterthought in AI adoption. It must be designed into every learning program, every tool rollout and every leadership strategy. HR leaders have the power — and the responsibility — to make sure AI’s future isn’t just innovative, but equitable.
Editor's Note: Catch up on other questions around equity and AI adoption below:
- AI Is Your Leadership Test: Will You Build a Future-Ready Culture or Get Left Behind? — AI is transforming the way business gets done, with or without you. Will your people be part of this revolution or sidelined by it?
- How Melinda French Gates' $150M Investment Is Shaping AI and Workforce Equity — Pivotal Ventures’ investment reminds us that DEI is more than a checkbox: it's a critical foundation for building better technology and workplaces.
- How to Decode the Very Mixed Reactions to AI in the Workplace — Enthusiasm about AI varies by age, gender, industry and career level. Here’s how to get past that.
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