AI is already transforming our workplaces, and helping people to work more efficiently, but not everyone is able to see the benefits.

Recent research from Google shows us that there’s a significant gender gap in AI adoption. While 45% of men report using AI tools at work, only 27% of women do. 

This imbalance could be holding women back from advancing their careers and may lead to further workplace inequality in the future.

AI tools have the power to change the way we work for the better, helping us to take our time back through enhancing productivity, aiding creativity and even opening doors to new career paths. 

Everyone should be able to tap into these opportunities, which is why closing this AI gender gap is crucial. This shift will help level the playing field, giving women equal opportunities to grow and thrive in their careers while building a more inclusive future for everyone.

The adoption gap in AI is part of a larger pattern across many industries, especially those that are tech-driven. While tech tools are reshaping the way we work, the journey to adopting them isn’t the same for everyone – and women often face unique challenges.

One reason behind this gap is perception. AI and tech in general are often viewed as male-dominated fields. This perception can be discouraging, as many women can feel that AI isn’t for them or doubt whether they belong in a space that’s been shaped by stereotypes. 

Research from Stanford University suggests that while encouraging women to use tech tools is important, it’s only part of the equation. Many women feel that they lack the typical traits or skills associated with tech roles, which impacts their sense of belonging and professional identity. 

This perception barrier can prevent women from engaging with AI, even when they have the same abilities as the men they work with.

Confidence is another factor. Research suggests that women tend to rate their tech skills as lower than men, even when they perform just as well. In one study, men and women completed the same tech task with similar results, yet women reported feeling less confident about their performance.

This lack of confidence can discourage women from actively using AI, as they may feel unsure about how to incorporate new tech into their working days. If you haven’t had a chance to use or learn about AI tools yet, it’s difficult to build the confidence or familiarity needed to integrate any of them into your work – no matter how helpful you know they might be.

When women miss out on using AI tools, they may also miss out on valuable career opportunities. AI can be a powerful asset for boosting productivity, improving decision-making and advancing professionally – benefits that can make a difference in every role.

One of the main advantages is productivity. AI tools can automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, allowing women to take their time back and focus on more creative or strategic parts of their work. This leads to better performance and the potential for career growth.

Sarah Lewin, Marketing Manager at Google UK, explains: “Whether it’s using AI to help you learn a new skill more quickly, or to save you some time and help you get more organised in your current role, there are so many ways understanding this technology can help you advance in your career – you never know what doors could open from expanding your knowledge and skills.”

Broader AI literacy also holds long-term promise in industries like education, marketing, and healthcare, where data-driven decisions and efficiency can make a big impact.

Education and training are essential to closing the gender gap, building confidence, and teaching women the AI skills they need to know to get started.

Google’s AI Essentials course offers a helpful starting point for anyone new to AI. This 10-hour online course is packed with resources and tips from Google experts, allowing learners to explore AI tools, like generative AI, at their own pace, and appreciate the practical benefits AI can bring to their work.

Sarah Lewin from Google highlights the benefits she’s seen first-hand: “There have been many great moments when people realise they can save a lot of time on routine tasks, freeing up more focus for creative work. For instance, using Gemini to help streamline report writing.”

Interacting with generative AI also helps to unlock creative new use cases. Sarah shares a story from a recent session with teachers, where they used AI to create personalised word searches for students. “This is such a cool and creative use case,” she says, emphasising how these tools can spark new ideas as soon as you know how to use them properly.

Signing up to a course like AI Essentials is one of a number of simple steps that women can start taking today, to help prevent further imbalance in the future.

Want to learn how Google’s AI tools can help you take your time back? From present planning to career dreaming, AI tools can help you take on the to-do list with renewed creativity and efficiency, leaving you free to focus on what truly matters to you in work and life. Google’s AI Essentials courses are the perfect place to improve your AI understanding, through both in-depth knowledge and practical tools. Find out more and sign up here.