Women are more skeptical than men about artificial intelligence, especially when it comes to ethics, fairness and transparency, according to a national study from Georgetown University, Boston University and the University of Vermont.
Researchers say women showed more concern than men about the risks of using AI in decision-making, particularly in the workplace.
Tools that help with hiring or performance reviews, for instance, can carry bias if trained on historical data that underrepresents women.
The study pointed to differences in how men and women respond to workplace rules on AI.
When use of the tools was banned, women were more likely to follow the rules than men. But when AI was explicitly allowed, usage among both genders jumped to more than 80%.
Women aren’t just worried about AI in work settings. The survey, conducted in August 2023 using the Qualtrics platform, found that women viewed AI tools as less beneficial and more harmful across every aspect of life — personal, professional and public.
The sample was designed to reflect the U.S. population, with over half of respondents identifying as female and an average age of 45.
The newly released research comes amid broader debates about AI ethics and high-profile exits of leading AI researchers.
In 2020, Google dismissed computer scientist Timnit Gebru after she raised concerns about large language models, per reports. Her research colleague Margaret Mitchell was later let go for similar reasons.
The study’s authors noted that building trust around AI may require clearer policies, more transparency in how systems are built and greater diversity among those designing them.
