Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In is fighting the gender gap in AI adoption

New research from Sandberg’s organization shows that women are using AI at work less than men, in part because they are not encouraged to use it—or get less credit for doing so.

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Lean In, the feminist organization founded by Sheryl Sandberg, has a new focus: fighting the gender gap in AI adoption. 

The nonprofit has put out new research that digs into how women use AI in the workplace relative to their male counterparts, which captures an adoption gap that has surfaced in previous surveys. In a survey of over 1,000 adults, Lean In found that 78% of men had used AI in the workplace, when compared to 73% of women. Men also reported using AI more regularly: About a third of men used AI daily, while only 27% of women did the same. 

This might not seem like a major difference at the moment. But Sandberg argues that this gap is likely to grow over time if it goes unaddressed. “These differences—which are not that small, but are smallish now—will compound over time, which is why we think it’s so important for people to understand them and acknowledge them,” she told Fast Company. 

Part of the reason for this gap, according to Lean In’s findings, is that many women are more cautious about the ethical implications of using AI at work. Women were 32% more likely to feel concerned that they would be perceived as cheating by using AI—and they also tended to steer clear of AI over concerns about accuracy and ethics. Some of them were also worried about the disproportionate impact that AI-related layoffs could have on women. 

“Don’t get us wrong. It is great that women have ethical concerns and care about cheating,” says Bridget Griswold, Lean In’s recently appointed CEO. “But we really worry that’s going to inadvertently cause women to use AI less.” 

Lean In’s research suggests that this is already happening—in part because the very gender biases that have impacted career progression for many women are now influencing how AI is being adopted in the workplace. 

“We also found that women feel differently about AI because they are treated differently in regards to AI, and [are] spoken to differently,” Griswold says. Women are encouraged to use AI less than their male colleagues, for example: Only 30% of women surveyed by Lean In said that their managers urged them to use AI, as compared to 37% of men. And when women do use AI at work, they are not nearly as likely to be recognized for it or get credit for doing so; men were 27% more likely to be praised for using AI on the job. 

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