The rapid rise of AI has put us at many crossroads. One of the most consequential is its impact on gender equity in leadership. AI could be a historic career accelerator for women leaders—or a setback. It all hinges on what we collectively decide to do now.

There is a rapidly closing window to ensure gender parity in leadership as the AI revolution plows forward. Without strategic intervention, the existing gaps for women—especially leaders—will only widen. Here are the potential upsides to prioritizing this opportunity.

The percentage of women in managerial roles is on the rise—increasing from 29% in 1980 to 46% in 2023, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey. Despite the overall “drop to the top” (the steady decline in women’s representation at each level of the org chart), a white paper by the World Economic Forum, "Gender Parity in the Intelligent Age," shows a rare bright spot. In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, women hold a higher share of director roles than manager roles, though representation drops significantly from director to vice-president.

These trends suggest that gender parity in leadership is still possible—but only if AI is........

© Forbes