May 22, 2024
(press release)
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Boston Consulting Group Study Reveals 68% of Women in the Tech Industry Say They Use a GenAI Tool at Work More Than Once a Week, Compared with 66% of Men, with Notable Variations Across Seniority and Roles BOSTON—Generative AI (GenAI) is proliferating rapidly in the workplace and while women have historically been less likely to adopt new technologies than men have (especially in the early days), a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released today finds that women are generally on par with—or in some cases even slightly outpacing—men peers in terms of GenAI adoption, with notable variations across seniority levels and job functions. The report, titled Women Leaders Are Paving the Way in GenAI, draws on data from a global survey of more than 6,500 women and men employees across Germany, India, Japan, the US, and the United Kingdom. These participants span four seniority levels and eight functions within the technology industry. “Fewer than 30% of middle managers and senior leaders in tech today are women,” said Maria Barisano, a managing director and partner at BCG and a coauthor of the report. “GenAI presents a unique opportunity to narrow the gender gap in the tech industry, but it requires proactive actions from both companies and the women employed by them.” Notable Variations in GenAI Usage Across Seniority Levels and Job Functions According to the survey, 68% of women in the tech industry said they use a GenAI tool at work more than once a week, compared with 66% of men. Senior women in technical functions (engineering, IT, customer support, sales, and marketing) are ahead of their men counterparts in adopting GenAI. These senior individual contributors (ICs), junior managers, and senior managers lead their men peers by an average of 14 percentage points. Women senior managers in nontechnical functions (human resources, legal, and finance) are trailing their men peers by only 2 percentage points, while women junior managers and senior ICs are behind by 5 percentage points and 12 percentage points, respectively. Junior women in technical roles lag their male counterparts by an average of 7 percentage points, a disparity that could exacerbate existing pipeline challenges in numerous tech companies. Those in nontechnical functions lag the most in adoption, at 21 percentage points, increasing the risk of losing gains in representation as GenAI continues to affect roles and career success. Three Key Attributes Driving the Gender Difference in GenAI Adoption Although men and women have similar levels of trust in GenAI tools to meet their objectives, and feel equally competent using them, the report identifies three significant factors that contribute to gender disparities in the adoption of GenAI. Reducing the Gender Gap in the Tech Industry Companies that are ready to pilot and scale GenAI can reduce the gender gap in the tech industry by tackling the three root causes of gender differences. This can be done through leadership advocacy and change management, targeted upskilling programs, a robust pilot design and clear responsible AI policies, and proactive career management. In addition, women can capture GenAI’s possibilities by proactively engaging and experimenting with the technology. “Now, more than ever, companies must be hyper-focused on enacting measures that increase equity in GenAI’s adoption but also support all employees’ adoption of GenAI,” said Neveen Awad, a managing director and partner at BCG and a coauthor of the report. “They can begin to reduce gender gaps and generate outsize impact today by targeting their actions to individual cohorts.” Download the publication here. Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.
Media Contact:
Eric Gregoire
+1 617 850 3783
gregoire.eric@bcg.comAbout Boston Consulting Group
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