Gender Gap Widens in ChatGPT Usage: New Study Reveals 16% Disparity Across Professions

Gender Gap Emerges in ChatGPT Adoption, Study Finds

A significant gender disparity in the adoption of ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence tool, has been revealed by recent research. University of Chicago economist Anders Humlum and colleague Emilie Vestergaard have found that women are 16 percentage points behind men in embracing this AI technology.

The study, which assessed eleven occupations including software developers, teachers, and legal professionals, uncovered varying rates of ChatGPT usage across different fields. Journalists and marketing professionals emerged as the highest users at 64%, while financial advisors and accountants showed the lowest adoption rate at 18%.

Notably, the gender gap persisted across all surveyed occupations. Even in fields with high overall adoption rates, such as journalism and marketing, only 62% of women reported using ChatGPT, compared to their male counterparts.

While the exact reasons for this disparity remain unclear, researchers have proposed several potential factors. Despite women being equally optimistic about ChatGPT’s time-saving potential, they may face greater “adoption friction” due to less training and familiarity with AI technologies. Women also more frequently reported not knowing how to use ChatGPT.

Supporting these findings, a 2024 Norwegian study found that male students were more likely to use ChatGPT than female students. The study also revealed that female students were less proficient with prompts and more sensitive to usage bans.

Humlum, whose primary research interest lies in the impact of generative AI on labor markets, expressed surprise at the gender gap discovery. “This was an unexpected finding for us,” he stated, emphasizing the need for further investigation to understand and address the gender disparity in AI adoption.

As AI continues to reshape various industries, the implications of this gender gap in technology adoption could have far-reaching consequences. Further research is crucial to ensure equal opportunities and benefits from AI advancements across genders in the evolving job market.