Is there a gender gap in AI use at work, and how large is it?
Most studies find men use generative AI more than women, by about 5 to 16 percentage points, which makes men about 16 to 22 percent more likely to use it. The gap shrinks by a quarter to a third among people in the same job, and stays open.
- Medium confidence
- 5 primary sources
- 2025 to 2026
- Last checked
Every study on one scale
Chart values as text
- Scale: points gap, men minus women. Shaded range: 5–16 points.
- Cranney, Delecourt and Koning (2026): 8.5 points overall, 5.4 since 2025
- Bick, Blandin and Deming, US (2025): 6 points (35% against 29%)
- Humlum and Vestergaard, Denmark (2025): 15.9 points (11.8 same workplace and tasks)
Why medium confidence: A US national survey, a Danish survey linked to government records and a review of 58 sources all find men ahead. Two large surveys report no meaningful gap on their measures, and the size varies with who is asked and how use is defined.
Studies without a figure on this scale are listed in the table only.
Sources
| Study | Creator | Year | Sample | Method | Figure | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Evidence on Gender Gaps and Generative AI Over Time (HBS Working Paper 25-023, May 2026) | Katelyn Cranney (Stanford), Solène Delecourt (Berkeley Haas) and Rembrand Koning (Harvard Business School) | 2026 | 76 sources from more than 100 countries, 2023 to early 2026; 318,924 people in the pooled estimate | Systematic review, weighted by sample size. Mixes work and personal use, students and workers; many sources are convenience samples. | 47.8% of men against 39.3% of women use AI (men 22% more likely); in 2025 to 2026 data, 39.8% against 34.4% (5.4 points, men 16% more likely); men ahead in 56 of 58 sources “we estimate an AI adoption rate of 47.8% for men versus 39.3% for women” | hbs.edu ↗ |
| The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI (St. Louis Fed Working Paper 2024-027F, revised October 2025) | Alexander Bick, Adam Blandin and David Deming | 2025 | 6,935 employed US adults aged 18 to 64, August and November 2024 | Nationally representative survey; ever used generative AI for work | Men 35.0%, women 29.0%; with occupation controls the gap in last-week use falls from 7.0 to 4.8 points, and to 1.8 points once employer encouragement is added “The top panel shows genAI adoption is 6 percentage points higher for men.” | doi.org ↗ |
| The unequal adoption of ChatGPT exacerbates existing inequalities among workers (PNAS) | Anders Humlum (Chicago Booth) and Emilie Vestergaard (University of Copenhagen) | 2025 | 17,907 workers in 11 AI-exposed occupations in Denmark, late 2023 | Survey linked to government records; ChatGPT only, ever used for work | Women 15.9 points less likely than men in the same occupation; 11.8 points among coworkers in the same workplace with the same tasks “Women are 16 percentage points less likely to have used the tool for work.” | pnas.org ↗ |
| U.S. Workers Are More Worried Than Hopeful About Future AI Use in the Workplace | Pew Research Center | 2025 | 5,273 employed US adults, October 2024 | Strict question: at least some of one's work is done with AI | Men are 53% of AI users and 53% of non-users: no gap on this measure “AI users are younger and more educated compared with other workers” | pewresearch.org ↗ |
| Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence: A global study 2025 | University of Melbourne and KPMG International | 2025 | 32,352 employed people in 47 countries | Reports only group differences above an effect-size cut-off, so a small gap may exist below it | No gender difference reported in AI use at work “there are no gender differences in AI use or attitudes toward AI at work” | mbs.edu ↗ |
Does the gender gap close among people in the same job?
It shrinks and stays open. In Denmark the gap falls from 15.9 to 11.8 points among coworkers in the same workplace doing the same tasks. In the US it falls from 7.0 to 4.8 points with occupation controls, and to 1.8 points (only weakly significant) once employer encouragement is added, which the authors say may not be a cause. Danish women more often said they needed training; men more often cited employer restrictions.
Numbers you may have seen
These figures circulate widely. Here is what the original source says.
- Women are 20% (or 25%) less likely than men to use generative AI. From 2024 drafts of the Harvard review, which reported 22% lower odds, a different quantity from 22% lower probability. The May 2026 version says men are 22% more likely overall and about 16% since early 2025.
- Women are 16 points less likely to use AI at work. That is Denmark, ChatGPT only, in 11 exposed jobs, late 2023. US whole-workforce data from late 2024 show 6 points.
- There is no gender gap in AI use at work (KPMG). The study reports only gaps above an effect-size cut-off and publishes no rates by gender. It rules out a large gap, not a small one.
- Only 44% of ChatGPT users are women. It is the female share of US visits to chatgpt.com, with gender inferred from web traffic. It gives no usage rate for men or women.
More from Who Uses AI at Work
- F-1440–50%What share of workers use generative AI at work?
- F-1540–52%What do people use AI for at work?
- F-1678–85%Which occupations and industries use AI the most?
- F-1712–24 ptsWho uses AI at work more, by age, education and income?
- F-1950–78%How many workers use AI tools their employer did not provide, and how many hide it?
- F-2042–49%How many employers provide AI tools, guidance or training to staff?
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