Bridging the Gender Gap: Roles and Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence of Women in Diverse Professional Environments

The development of responsible, fair, and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) systems is receiving increasing attention, emphasizing the need for diverse teams. However, a significant gender gap remains in the tech sector, which can impact the quality and fairness of the development and implementation of AI-based systems. The transformative changes driven by AI offer a unique opportunity to address this gap and encourage greater female participation in the field. This study investigates women’s attitudes toward AI and the potential roles they could assume, with a focus on AI’s capacity to reduce gender disparities in technology. The research surveyed women with STEM and non-STEM educational backgrounds across diverse professional environments in Germany, examining their attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with AI. This study used a validated attitude scale to assess cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of AI perception and examined how these dimensions relate to women’s interest in pursuing a career in AI. Results revealed generally positive attitudes toward AI among women, with no significant differences between STEM and non-STEM groups. Knowledge of and involvement in AI projects emerged as predictors of the affective attitude dimension. Additionally, leadership roles were associated with more positive AI attitudes than specialist or operational roles. These findings suggest that women across various fields are highly motivated and possess the competencies to contribute meaningfully to AI development. The research provides insights for fostering female participation in AI based on emerging roles and showcases the potential of women with diverse expertise to drive progress in the field of AI.