A new Canadian report suggests that while artificial intelligence is becoming widely used across workplaces, many women remain hesitant to adopt the technology due to concerns about potential negative reactions from colleagues or employers. The findings highlight a persistent gender gap in how AI tools are used and perceived on the job, raising questions about how organizations can better support employees as technology continues to evolve.
According to the survey, about 64 percent of Canadians reported using artificial intelligence tools within the past year. However, usage levels differ between genders. Approximately 68 percent of men said they had used AI, compared with 61 percent of women. The study also found that nearly half of women who rely on AI at work worry that using such tools could lead to criticism or professional consequences. About 46 percent of female respondents expressed concern about backlash, compared with 40 percent of men.
The research, conducted by the professional community platform Monday Girl, suggests that confidence and comfort with AI tools remain significantly lower among women. Only 36 percent of women surveyed said they feel confident using artificial intelligence systems, while 39 percent said they feel comfortable working with the technology. Among men, those numbers were notably higher, with 52 percent reporting confidence and 53 percent saying they feel comfortable using AI tools in their roles.
The report also found that women are more likely to experience uncertainty or intimidation when interacting with AI systems. Nearly half of female respondents, about 47 percent, said they feel intimidated by AI tools, compared with 33 percent of men. Similarly, 45 percent of women reported feeling confused when using AI platforms, compared with 37 percent of men. Previous research has also suggested that women are less likely than men to use tools such as ChatGPT even when they work in similar occupations.
Rachel Wong and Istiana Bestari, co founders of Monday Girl, say the gap is less about ability and more about access to opportunities and training. Speaking about the survey results, they said women often lack the same exposure to AI tools, mentorship, and workplace environments that encourage experimentation and risk taking with new technologies.
Experts also warn that artificial intelligence systems themselves can sometimes reinforce gender inequalities. According to UN Women, AI technologies learn from large datasets, and when those datasets contain existing biases, the systems may unintentionally reproduce those biases in real world applications. For example, Zinnya del Villar, an expert in responsible AI cited by UN Women, notes that healthcare algorithms can sometimes focus more heavily on male symptoms, potentially leading to misdiagnosis for women. In addition, voice assistants often default to female voices, reinforcing stereotypes about women in service roles, while language models may associate professions such as nursing with women and scientific roles with men.
To address these challenges, UN Women recommends several steps organizations can take to ensure AI systems are developed and used responsibly. These include training models on diverse datasets, improving transparency in how algorithms function, building diverse development teams, implementing clear ethical guidelines for AI development, and introducing policies that specifically consider gender equality in technology design.
The International Labour Organisation has also raised concerns about how the rise of generative AI could affect women in the workforce. The organization notes that women are more likely to work in roles that could be disrupted by automation and are still underrepresented in science and technology fields where AI is being developed. Structural barriers, recruitment practices, and longstanding social norms continue to shape employment patterns in ways that can limit equal opportunities.
As artificial intelligence becomes a central part of modern workplaces, researchers say companies will need to focus not only on deploying new technologies but also on creating inclusive environments where all employees feel supported in using them. Providing training programs, encouraging experimentation with new tools, and ensuring equitable access to AI resources could help close the gap and ensure that technological progress benefits everyone in the workforce.
