A significant and worrying divide is emerging in how men and women engage with artificial intelligence. While men are rapidly adopting generative AI tools like ChatGPT, women remain noticeably more cautious. This chasm, backed by mounting data, is less about technical capability and more about power, bias, and lived experience.
The Data Behind the Divide
Research consistently shows that men use generative AI more frequently than women. A pivotal 2024 paper, "The Gen AI Gender Gap", highlighted that 50 per cent of men use these tools, compared to only 37 per cent of women. Further studies from Denmark and Harvard Business School reinforce this trend, with the latter finding women comprised just 42 per cent of ChatGPT's average monthly users between late 2022 and mid-2024.
Experts warn this disparity risks deepening existing economic inequalities in the workplace. Common explanations point to women being underrepresented in STEM and AI-specific roles, with a mere 14 per cent of senior executive positions in AI held by women. However, the roots of women's reticence run far deeper than representation alone.
Weaponised Technology and Embedded Bias
For many women, AI technology has been weaponised against them from its inception. The issue is starkly illustrated by the recent investigation by Ofcom into Grok AI over deepfake nude images. Beyond this, the proliferation of AI girlfriends and the reinforcement of harmful gender stereotypes create a hostile digital environment.
The technology itself is riddled with bias. It frequently downplays women's health issues, portrays women in domestic or subservient roles, and relies on inherently feminised virtual assistants. A telling example was when ChatGPT used—and later scrapped—an audio interface eerily reminiscent of Scarlett Johansson's voice in the film Her.
A Question of Trust and Lived Experience
This context makes it unsurprising that women often lack the inherent trust some men seem to place in AI platforms. There's a palpable confidence among male users—an assumption that the technology is built to help them because it often favours them. This is a confidence women have rarely been encouraged to develop.
As journalist Olivia Petter notes from her own dating experiences, conversations about AI with men often turn into debates. In contrast, while women may use AI for practical support like career or financial advice, they are not engaging with it with the same fervent enthusiasm.
The consequences of this gap are profound. As AI evolves to shape more aspects of daily life, ensuring it becomes a safer and more equitable space for women is paramount. In the meantime, a dose of healthy scepticism from its most ardent male users might be beneficial. The path forward requires acknowledging that for many women, caution isn't a lack of curiosity—it's a rational response to a technology that has too often shown its darker side.
