Women need to play a greater role in the development of artificial intelligence in organizations. Without their involvement, there can be risks regarding how these tools effectively serve businesses. This is the main conclusion drawn from a study presented by IBM titled 'Female Leadership in the Age of AI'. The study gathered opinions from 4,000 senior business decision-makers across Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
The research was introduced by Nicola Hodson, CEO of IBM in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Hodson emphasized that it is vital for AI systems to be human-centered and trustworthy. She also stressed that female participation in leadership should not be an exercise in diversity selection but a strategic imperative. The study also found that nearly half (48%) of UK business leaders admitted needing more support in AI skills development and learning, and 44% desired more opportunities to experience AI in action.
Additionally, more than a third of respondents (36%) stated that personalized mentoring programs could be effective in boosting participation. 31% highlighted improving access to re-skilling programs and initiatives, and a similar percentage mentioned increasing representation at the middle management level (31%). When asked if UK executives were confident in their business leadership capabilities in the age of AI, 48% of men were fully confident, compared to 43% of women.
The Biggest Enemy: Lack of confidence
Overall, 73% of respondents indicated that increasing female leadership in the sector is important to mitigate gender biases in artificial intelligence. Moreover, 74% believe that female leadership is crucial to ensure the economic benefits of AI are equally felt across society.
Lack of confidence continues to be a significant issue for talented women in this field. The study reveals that 46% of female participants felt strongly confident in their leadership abilities, compared to 61% of their male counterparts. This confidence gap must be addressed as a priority. It appears that female leaders are proactively working to rectify this disparity, with 55% actively improving their technical skills, nearly matching the male respondents (58%). Other actions taken by female executives to prepare themselves at the same pace as their male counterparts include preparing their teams for future changes (49%), actively educating themselves about the changing regulatory landscape (46%), and participating in the creation of governance and regulatory frameworks (44%).
Both men and women identified technical expertise as the most important quality for a business leader in the age of AI, with 28% of male respondents and 21% of female respondents choosing this as their top priority. However, female executives showed a more holistic view of leadership, considering a good understanding of the AI vendor landscape (20%) and knowing which roles can provide strategic advice (19%) as equally important leadership qualities.
Lack of female
IBM's research also shows that only 33% of businesses in the EMEA region have a female leader in charge of decision-making in their AI strategy. By country, this figure drops to 23% in France, while it rises to 41% in the United Arab Emirates, where a significant portion of AI decision-makers are women. "The AI revolution is a crucial moment for female leaders. It is an opportunity for women to take on a fundamental leadership role in a technological revolution and shape the future of our business and economic landscape," the study notes. "The implications of female leadership will be significant: not only for the development and implementation of AI itself but also for female leaders, who can personally benefit from the opportunities AI is creating," it adds. With 82% of leaders already implementing generative AI or planning to do so within the next year, there is a real urgency for companies to accelerate efforts to ensure women occupy a central position in this journey.
