Research suggests women are less likely to use AI than men but an academic told HRD it doesn’t tell the whole story
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a standard part of the work world, research suggests women are less likely to use ChatGPT compared to men.
According to a study released by the University of Chicago in May 2024, women are 20 percentage points less likely to use ChatGPT than men. The research found that while women respond positively to information about AI tools, their lower adoption rates are attributed to barriers such as adoption friction and limited training access.
"These findings show the gender gap in adoption does not reflect women are less responsive to information about the technology. On the contrary, women respond more to the information but face barriers that prevent their further adoption," the report cites.
Dr Juliet Bourke, Adjunct Professor in the Business School at the University of New South Wales, says usage patterns are closely tied to workplace exposure and the nature of job functions.
"Someone in a sector washed in technology, like software developers, is more likely to be using ChatGPT because they’re familiar with it. But there are some industries heavily dominated by women where new technology hasn’t been infused into their flow of work," she explained.
"If women are using ChatGPT," Bourke continued, "it’s because of exposure. There’s less of that in female-dominated roles like HR, financial advisor, teaching."
Bourke also pointed out that access is often prioritised for those in more senior positions—a factor that intersects with gender representation at leadership levels.
“People who are more senior are more likely to get ChatGPT first than those at the bottom, there’s a lot of vertical segregation in that respect. With women traditionally not being in that upper percentile, that’s another reason for the difference in uptake.”
One of the main reasons for a lack of exposure to AI software - like ChatGPT - by women is because of the industries they dominate, according to Bourke, and those with less expertise in something are “more likely to lean on AI for help.”
“Women have strong networks and relationships – so many might just call up one of their girlfriends than use ChatGPT. When you look at teaching, for example, AI might be great to help with lesson planning, or in HR to plan a meeting’s agenda. But it can’t replace being human and mimic things like empathy.”
“The technology is still very much in its infancy and we’re all using it in very simple ways – so we can’t expect it to be able to manage the performance of a new teacher or help develop the skills of an up-and-coming manager. So when you factor in that women are predominantly nurses, teachers, people leaders, why would they use AI beyond transcription?” Bourke questioned.
With ChatGPT being utilised to review, source, or fact-check information, Bourke also noted that the technology can’t deliver on replacing certain workflows.
“It’s great for one-to-one, but when you work on one-to-many, that’s when it struggles. When you’re in HR and facilitating groups, AI can struggle.”
Previous examples of online harassment against women is quoted by Bourke as an additional considering factor for the apparent lack of uptake for ChatGPT.
“Women could also be cautious because of the dark side of technology. Thinking about deepfakes, harassment, misogyny.”
“Why would a woman trust a software that could have unconscious bias built into its database and algorithms? I don’t think it’s a key issue but something to think about,” Bourke highlighted.
One of the key elements from research into AI is the impetus on additional training – a viewpoint greatly shared by Bourke.
She told HRD that training in new technology underpins the acceptance of new technology. When asked about the availability of training, Bourke analysed reasons why it may not be rolled out everywhere.
“Some training might be deliberately limited, because of where we are with AI now, we’re still learning. There’s still concerns about confidentiality and security, people are still trying to figure out how to make their own version of ChatGPT for their specific purpose.”
“People using it – especially women – are like canaries in the coalmine now. They’re leading the way and we’re having to learn and react to the problems they throw up. It’s exciting, but we’re a long way off completion,” Bourke concluded.
