As AI becomes widespread in workplaces, questions of equal adoption across different groups of workers are receiving increasing attention. This matters beyond questions of fairness – unequal AI adoption has implications for productivity, career progression, and the risk that AI tools are built and refined without adequately representing the entire workforce. Yet research shows that women are less likely to use AI at work compared to men, with women’s lower adoption often portrayed as fear-based risk aversion or lack of confidence.
Yet risk aversion alone may be an incomplete explanation. Other factors are at play, including the fact that women face greater occupational risk from AI due to the jobs they work in, have different skills compared to men, and have less of a voice when it comes to AI development. The question is therefore not only whether women are more averse to AI-related risks, but what structural, workplace and societal factors shape their relationship to the technology.
This webinar brings together leading experts in the field of AI and equality to explore the AI adoption gap between women and men, how it can be understood and how its framing matters for policy responses. Join us for a panel discussion followed by a short Q&A.
Speakers will include:
· Mara Bolis, Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and Founder of First Prompt, an equitable AI adoption lab;
· Anam Parvez Butt, Technical Specialist on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination at the International Labour Organization; and
· Claudia Flores Saviaga, Researcher specialising in Human-Centred AI and Human Computer Interaction at Northeastern University;
The discussion will be moderated by Elif Bahar, Labour Market Economist at the OECD.
This project was kindly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
