Artificial intelligence is often presented as a driving force for productivity, innovation, and the reshaping of work practices, but a new study suggests that the public does not share the same optimism. The study found that women are more likely to view AI as a threat, especially when the economic outcomes and job benefits are uncertain. The study warns that ignoring women's concerns in the formulation of AI policies could exacerbate the gender gap and lead to political backlash against new technologies.
The study notes that women are overrepresented in administrative, clerical, and service jobs that are vulnerable to automation, while underrepresented in science, engineering, and leadership positions that offer better opportunities to benefit from higher-paying AI technologies. This occupational distribution influences gender differences in attitudes toward potential risks and gains, with women tending to evaluate economic benefits more cautiously, while men focus on productivity, efficiency, and operational improvements.
The researchers relied on an online survey of more than 3,000 participants in the United States and Canada, measuring perceptions of the risks of AI and individuals' propensity to take risks, as well as the level of occupational exposure to AI-induced changes. The results showed that risk aversion deepens the gap between women and men, while the gap is less pronounced among participants who are more willing to take risks. The survey also showed that women's support for the adoption of AI declines more rapidly as the likelihood of economic risks to jobs increases, but converges with men when the gains are certain.
The study also revealed that women focus their risk assessment on job loss and unemployment, while men focus on general societal risks or malicious uses. The study suggests that these differences are not related to an outright rejection of technology, but rather to realistic responses to unequal risks and opportunities. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the importance of developing AI policies that take into account protection, rehabilitation, and reducing bias, and ensure women's participation in the design and operation of these technologies, in order to maintain fairness and public trust and support the legitimacy of the digital economic transformation.