The Age of AI: Why Equity Matters More Now than Ever

Author: Cindy Anderson , Global Lead, Thought Leadership Engagement & Eminence, IBM Institute for Business Value ?

We’ve made a few strides toward gender equity in business leadership over the last several years, but putting a crack in the glass ceiling is not the same as shattering it. In fact, only 12% of C-suite and board-level positions are held by women, and the pipeline is still woefully inadequate to achieve parity any time soon.?

Enter generative AI (GenAI). We’re in a once-in-a-career moment filled with exciting possibilities, where leaders can seize the opportunity of this transformative technology to forge the future.?

Yet, many women perceive generative AI as a threat rather than a tool to help their career trajectory, according to a new report from the IBM Institute for Business Value - 46% of women surveyed are worried that AI-driven automation will replace them in their current job, compared to just 37% of men who share the same concern.?

To understand more about the barriers and opportunities women leaders face in this moment, and the role generative AI can play, I gathered insights from several women leaders at IBM who are at the forefront of the AI revolution:?

What is your advice to women who do not see the positive impact generative AI can have on their career??

Salima Lin , Vice President and Senior Partner, Strategy, Transformation, & Thought Leadership?

It’s important to remember that generative AI doesn’t change who you are, but it will change what you do. And those of us who use it to change how we work, will replace those that don’t. That’s a certainty. Therefore, the question is – what side of that continuum do you want to be on??

While we're still in the early days of generative AI,?it is already introducing a new dynamic to the way we work. This technology presents an opportunity for leaders –especially women leaders – to distinguish ourselves as change agents in the workplace.?

However, it's not just up to individuals to seize this opportunity. Organizations play a role in equipping their people – men and women alike – with the resources they need to be bold, confident, and proactive in embracing the future. By doing so, they can help create a culture that fosters growth and innovation and empowers employees to reinvent their work with generative AI. As women, we need to take those opportunities and use them to advance our careers.?

Our research found that men are adopting generative AI faster than women. Do you think there is a gender confidence gap in AI???

Nisha Bains , Global AWS Strategic Partnership Leader?

I think it would be easy to assume that a lack of confidence may be the culprit, but I believe the reality is much more complex.??

Gender biases and stereotypes still influence perceptions of leadership, which may be impacting how men and women approach generative AI in the workplace. Our research suggests this – when asked to identify the most important leadership skills, business leaders said men should be innovative, creative, analytical, and results-oriented. Women, on the other hand, were expected to be strategic, visionary, and good communicators.??

If the expectation of men is to be innovative, it is logical that would be reflected in their view of generative AI, seeing it as a competitive advantage and way to enhance their careers. Organizations need to place people at the center of their AI strategy and create a culture where all employees feel empowered to experiment and innovate with new technologies like generative AI.?

Fifty six percent of our respondents say there aren’t enough women leading the conversation about generative AI. How do you encourage and support your teams to leverage AI in a way that enhances their work and helps them achieve their goals????

Aparna Sharma , Managing Partner and GM, Hybrid Cloud Services, IBM Consulting?

First and foremost, it's important to establish confidence - confidence within the team and confidence in the technology. And it's especially important when introducing new technologies like AI.?This means setting bold goals, while experimenting and validating, so we can gain confidence in ourselves while building it for our clients.?

It requires open and honest conversations to foster a culture that encourages experimentation, risk-taking, and where everyone feels empowered to embrace AI and explore its potential. It also means providing mentorship and guidance to help people navigate the challenges and opportunities of working with AI.?We’re all learning as we go, since the technology is changing every day, and creating a space for people to ask questions and learn together is so important. It is also about exploring and leveraging AI ourselves, different techniques and tools to become more efficient as humans, as employees and as leaders, and improve our value and impact to the organizations or clients that we work for or support.??

How can organizations foster a culture that encourages women to pursue leadership opportunities in AI and technology???

Monika Means , Vice President and Senior Partner, IBM Consulting??

Start early. As organizations embark on their AI journey, culture, leadership, and skills should be at the top of their agenda. Leaders can take intentional and proactive steps to support women in building skills, being early adopters of AI in their field, and taking on leadership roles and positions of influence within technology and AI. Organizations that foster a culture of experimentation, learning, creativity, and inclusion will create environments where all voices – women, men, and non-binary – are valued and respected. The benefits are clear:?organizations that prioritize gender equity in the same way they do any other business objective, see a revenue growth rate 19% higher than their peers. ?It's not just the right thing to do - it's the smart thing to do.?

Why is it important to have women in leadership roles when it comes to implementing responsible and trustworthy AI???

Phaedra Boinodiris , IBM Consulting's Global Leader for Trustworthy AI?

Today, there is a homogeneous group of individuals who are determining which datasets to use to train AI models. Even if the intentions of these data scientists and AI model engineers are good, their own worldviews and biases will get calcified in the AI they develop. There is also a lack of accountability for the outcomes for these models. The leaders driving the AI revolution must also be reflective of the diversity of society. Yet,?only a third (33%) of business leaders surveyed have a woman in charge of making decisions on AI strategy in their organization.? ?

It's not about ticking a diversity box; it’s critical? to have AI models that reflect the varied communities we must serve. By investing in a diverse and multi-disciplinary workforce to not only build, but also govern our AI models, we are better poised to effectively assess and mitigate disparate impact. This approach inspires innovation that serves diverse communities and empowers a wider swath of future leaders, including those who may not currently realize they have a valued role in all this.???

Our survey results find that more men are adopting generative AI than women. How do you think this gender gap could impact the future of work and the broader tech industry???

Joanne Wright , Senior Vice President, Transformation and Operations?

In a way, generative AI represents a blank slate. The world is still figuring out how to capitalize on its potential. But AI and automation are already transforming the workforce. If leaders don't use generative AI to gain a competitive edge today, they may find themselves left behind in the future.?

At IBM, we're taking this to heart by using our own AI to transform our internal processes. Customer service, IT and HR support, procurement, sales incentives for our sellers – we are augmenting our professionals by automating mundane tasks so they can focus on innovation and growth.??

Our survey found that more men than women see generative AI as a way to gain a competitive advantage in the job market. How can mastering generative AI help advance someone’scareers???

Kelly Chambliss , Senior Vice President, IBM Consulting, Americas??

GenAI is changing almost every aspect of the work. It's an exciting time, but it's also a challenging one. There are so many ways that women – really everyone– can tap into the power of GenAI to build knowledge and capabilities. GenAI can make us more productive, more insightful, and more creative.?

We should not let the fear of the unknown stop us. The best way to get ahead is by responsibly experimenting with GenAI and becoming an expert on the GenAI models, tools, and platforms that are having the biggest impact on how work gets done.?

What advice would you give to your younger self if you were starting your career in the generative AI era??

Jennifer Quinlan , Global Managing Partner, Customer Transformation, IBM Consulting??

?Starting your career in the generative AI era can be exciting and intimidating, especially in male-dominated fields where women may feel like they have to work twice as hard to prove themselves.??

When I first started in technology, I thought that coding or being an engineer was the only way to be considered a technologist. I soon realized it’s not about being an expert in IT; it’s about understanding how AI can enchance your work, your team’s capabilities and collaborating with the right people to create better outcomes. It’s important to remember that having a diverse background and growth mindset is not just a strength, it’s a necessity. Most importantly, it’s about owning your contributions to the conversation and ethical advancement of AI.?

By interacting with this technology from the outset,?women?can play a critical role?not only to improve the technology but also?in flagging problematic and biased outputs and creating a more equitable work environment. Ultimately, success in this field comes from leveraging our human strengths -- creativity, intuition, and innovative thinking – and embracing challenges to create new opportunities for ourselves, the clients we serve, and the next generation of leaders.?

To read more inspirational perspectives and learn more about our findings, read the full report: Forging the future of AI: Women can take the lead ?

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