Women are taking up AI skills at a far lower rate than men according to research from Coursera, raising the risk of existing gender disparities being replicated in the burgeoning field.
While enrollments in generative AI courses on Coursera surged by 227% over the past year, women enrolled in these courses at half the rate of men and made up only 32% of enrollments. Women typically make up half of the enrollments on the platform.
Countries where this disparity is most pronounced include Israel, Egypt, and Pakistan, in which women account for 23.4%, 22.2%, and 15.9% of total generative AI course enrollments, respectively.
Even in regions with better uptake such as the US and UK, women make up just 36.6% and 31% of enrolments.
This gender gap has serious implications as existing biases can be baked into AI systems as they are being developed, Coursera said. The researchers referenced a study from Berkley which found that 44% of AI systems already exhibited gender bias.
Confidence gaps are a driving factor behind these figures, with women less likely to engage in generative AI courses even when they have the right skill sets. Women are six times more likely to enroll in beginner-level AI courses than intermediate ones, Coursera found, indicating a preference towards accessible entrance points into the area.
To address the issue, Coursera suggested a focus on expanding skills access. Businesses should establish AI upskilling programs that prioritize gender inclusion as well as offer opportunities to highlight diversity in staff.
Firms could also consider providing sponsorship or mentorship programs, financial incentives to encourage skills development among female employees, and structured AI training programs that recognize the achievements of women in AI learning, Coursera added.
AI sector could mimic wider industry
A gender gap in the tech industry has been a long-running issue, with research from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, in late 2023 suggesting that it could take nearly 300 years to close without intervention.
More recent analysis from BCS revealed the number of women studying computer science is increasing, though there is still some way to go until course applicants reach gender parity. The analysis found a 29% growth in women taking Computer Science at A level – but 75% of computing students are still men.
Research from ISC2 returned similar results, finding that women are making small gains in the male-dominated cybersecurity workforce. Female cybersecurity staff in the ‘under 30’ age range account for 25% of security team headcounts, the report found.
"It’s great to see incremental progress of younger women entering cyber security; however, it’s not enough and more needs to be done," ISC2 chief executive, Clar Rosso, said at the time.
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