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Every year since 1977, March 8 has been dedicated to women's rights. The theme for the 2025 edition of International Women's Day was "for all women and girls: rights, equality, empowerment.” By becoming more democratic, artificial intelligence can become a lever for the emancipation and empowerment of women in business.
However, women must be willing to appropriate the tools that use this technology. Whether it's asking ChatGPT to find specific figures in a long PDF document, to make a presentation based on a study, or even to write a "firm but polite” message to a colleague, in the office, artificial intelligence can make many tasks more efficient. The time saved is estimated at 57 minutes per day on average by AI users, according to a study by Odoxa published in February and conducted with a panel of 2,000 participants.
But does artificial intelligence benefit women as much as men? Not so sure. A study conducted by Harvard and Berkeley researchers highlights significant gender disparities in the adoption of this technology. By analysing 18 studies involving more than 140,000 students and professionals from various sectors and countries (United States, Sweden, Mexico, China, Morocco), the researchers found a significant gap.
In all the research studied, the adoption of AI tools by women was consistently 10 to 40% lower than among men. The researchers also examined the users of ChatGPT between November 2022 and May 2024 and found that women accounted for only 42% of monthly users of the platform, a proportion that drops to 27% when it comes to smartphone app downloads. Tests conducted among 17,000 male and female entrepreneurs in Kenya showed that even when access to AI was facilitated and accompanied by explanations, women were still 13% less inclined to use it.
A technological boon, of which women could take greater advantage Why are women more reluctant to use artificial intelligence? This reluctance seems to be partly due to ethical concerns and the fear of negative judgment in the workplace. The idea that AI could be perceived as a form of cheating is a major barrier, especially for women, who already face the more stringent evaluation of their skills at work. One particular case stands out, however.
A study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group among technology workers in the San Francisco area shows that slightly more women used AI than their male colleagues. This exception suggests that prolonged exposure to emerging technologies could play a role in reducing the gender gap. These differences in usage have significant repercussions.
A lesser recourse to AI could slow down the career progress of women by depriving them of an essential tool to improve their productivity and reinforce their autonomy at work. On an economic level, this reluctance hinders opportunities for growth and innovation. Furthermore, the under-representation of women among AI users influences the design of language models, which are based on the data of their users.
This lack of diversity risks perpetuating certain gender stereotypes and obscuring issues specific to women. Companies have a key role to play in reducing these gaps. They must not only guarantee fair access to AI tools, but also actively encourage their adoption through appropriate training.
Establishing a culture where the use of AI is valued and free of negative connotations would help to remove certain barriers. Organisations that have succeeded in reducing the gender gap in AI use are those where employers take a clear stance on the importance of these tools and encourage all their employees to test them without fear of being judged. Ultimately, while artificial intelligence represents a strategic asset in the world of work, it must not accentuate gender inequalities.
It is essential to encourage the adoption of these tools by women and to ensure an inclusive approach in order to shape a more equitable labor market. This progress can only be fully beneficial if its advantages are enjoyed equally by all. – AFP Relaxnews.
