New research reveals that women’s greater skepticism toward artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t about inherent distrust, but a more pragmatic assessment of risk. While AI adoption rates among women lag behind men by 25%, a recent study from Northeastern University suggests this gap stems from differing levels of risk tolerance and exposure to potential economic fallout.
Gendered Risk Perception
The study, published in PNAS Nexus, analyzed responses from nearly 3,000 North Americans and found women consistently demonstrated greater risk aversion in financial scenarios. This tendency translated directly into their views on AI : women were 11% more likely than men to believe AI’s downsides outweighed its advantages.
However, the key finding is that this skepticism disappears when job security is guaranteed. When presented with scenarios where AI-driven employment gains are certain, gender gaps in support for the technology vanish. This suggests women aren’t anti-AI, but cautious about uncertainty.
Unequal Exposure to AI’s Impact
The researchers link this caution to the fact that women are disproportionately affected by both the potential benefits and threats of AI in the workplace. Women are overrepresented in roles that could be either enhanced or eliminated by AI, creating a double-edged risk that men don’t face to the same degree.
“Women face higher exposure to AI across both high-complementarity roles that could benefit from AI and high-substitution roles at risk of displacement, though the long-term consequences of AI remain fundamentally uncertain.”
Implications for Policy
This research carries important implications for policymakers. The study recommends implementing measures to mitigate AI-related risks, like job displacement protections, compensation schemes, and bias reduction in AI systems. Ignoring these gendered dynamics could exacerbate existing inequalities.
The findings underscore that skepticism toward AI isn’t an irrational fear, but a rational response to a system that presents different levels of risk for men and women. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for ensuring equitable adoption of this transformative technology.
