AND arrived promising to be a tool capable of democratizing knowledge and eliminating social distancing. But a few years after its discovery, the reality that emerges from the data takes a disturbing picture: Artificial Intelligence is, on the contrary, digging a deep furrow in the job market, and it is a rut that risks leaving women behind before anyone else. The problem, however, is not a lack of aptitude at all, but rather an invisible barrier made of time, social expectations and loads of care.
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Governing Artificial Intelligence to overcome fears about new technology
Women and AI, the new glass ceiling
Second an interesting analysis from Harvard University associated with some findings by OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, female professionals are 25% less likely to integrate AI into their workflowcompared to their male colleagues, a gap that does not have who knows what strange reasons behind it, but is simply the reflection of structural obstacles: for a woman, and in particular for a mother, to find time to learn to master new software is a luxury that you often cannot afford. Between paid work and domestic work, the window for technological upgrading narrows and eventually disappears.
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The judgment trap
In addition to the chronic lack of time, there is a psychological and cultural barrier. There is still a deep-rooted stereotype that women are less suited to technologya prejudice that generates the fear of being judged if you choose to delegate a task to an algorithm. While a man is often encouraged to experiment in an unscrupulous way, a woman feels greater pressure to demonstrate her “manual” and intellectual competence.
Why do women use AI less? The answer lies not in their abilities, but in a society that denies them time to experiment. (Getty Images)
The value of caution in technological development
Then there is the issue of prudence. Many professionals show greater attention to the ethical implications And data security. A caution which, even if it may seem like a limit, is instead a precious skill: in a world that is moving towards wild automation, it a critical female gaze is fundamental. The risk, however, is that this ethical attention is mistaken for hesitation, curbing the rise of women in sectors ranging from commerce to pure technology and making way for those who accept innovation without reservations.
Flexible training as a way out
Despite the not exactly encouraging premises, the gap is not unbeatable. The solution is for the companies themselves to invest in time and dedicated training. «The data shows that when workplaces offer accessible learning paths, perhaps designed for those who work part-time or are returning from maternity leave – explains Chiara Bacilieri, professor at the Catholic University and expert in the world of work – the adoption of AI among employees triples.” And he adds: «In Italy, Becoming a mother is still one of the main professional penalization factors. Artificial intelligence risks adding a further disadvantage.”
Free resources to bridge the gap
While waiting for companies and institutions to seriously address the structural and cultural causes that penalize women and mothers, in work and in the use of AI, free resources already exist and accessible to learn to workor to work better, with AI. For those who want to get started right away, the web offers valuable resources. In fact, there are so-called Mooc, Massive open online courses, courses open to all and usable even in spare time, which however can make a difference. Among the institutional ones, there are certainly:
- Elements of ai: promoted by the Department for Digital Transformationthe structure that guides Italy’s technological innovation, explains what AI is starting from scratch, ideal for those without technical bases;
- Microsoft ai skills alliance: Offers vertical paths for those working in HR, marketing or finance, transforming AI into an everyday operational tool.
- Pok for ai: the portal of the Polytechnic University of Milan with free courses to explore the practical applications of artificial intelligence and its legal nuances.
AI, a technology that rewards those who already have power
The gender gap in the use of AI is not the only gap that is emerging: it is inevitably intertwined with the economic one. A survey conducted by Financial Times out of 4,000 workers, highlights how the adoption of AI is strongly skewed towards those who already occupy the top: over 60% of high-income managers use it every day, compared to just 16% of those with lower salaries. The risk, in this case, is that of a new social pyramid.
A new social hierarchy under construction
In fact, as Nobel Prize winner Daron Acemoglu observed, these tools require abstract skills And years of school education to be truly effective. The paradox is therefore served: artificial intelligence becomes a “force multiplier” for those who are already strong, increasing the productivity of those at the top and leaving those at the base of the pyramid stranded. If once machines replaced physical effort, today they enhance thinking, but only of those who have had access to the best universities. The perfect way to crystallize existing social hierarchies.
AI, don’t call it progress if it’s not for everyone
Summing up, the challenge that artificial intelligence poses is that of a double threshold to overcome in order not to be excluded from the future, that of the gender gap that punishes womenheld back by burdens of care and cultural stereotypes and the economic one, which rewards those who are already at the topturning technology into a luxury for a few educated managers rather than a common good. If so, the future challenge will be intervene with truly democratic and accessible trainingwith the aim of not building a society, where success depends on gender or bank balance. Truly appropriating these tools also means fighting so that technology stops being a multiplier of privilegesbut become an opportunity for emancipation for everyone.
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