Introduction
In the late 90s, when I first visited a data center filled with servers managing thousands of digital operations, it was clear that women were absent from operating these facilities. At the time, people believed that this gap would close as more women became involved in technology… and that promise remains relevant today.
Now, the technology shaping conversations is no longer servers but generative artificial intelligence (AI). The question remains similar: who is truly using it?
The Current Scenario
The notion that “everyone” uses AI or that “everyone enjoys it” is a utopia. Figures show that women are not, for now, the most enthusiastic users, and the explanation goes beyond mere disinterest.
I conducted a small survey on my Instagram account, asking only those who do not use AI to respond. Among the 137 responses, only 4 were from men. While this could be a coincidence, the reasons that emerged are revealing: 55% said they don’t use AI because they don’t know how, and 27% consider using it as “cheating.”
Are these perceptions isolated or indicative of a trend?
To determine if these perceptions are isolated or indicative of a broader trend, let’s examine the data:
- Stanford and Harvard’s joint report: Women have approximately 20% less likelihood than men of using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity.
- Deloitte’s data: When generative AI became popular in 2024, men adopted it almost twice as fast as women (20% vs. 11%). By 2026, the gap is expected to narrow, disappearing entirely: 52% of users will be men and 49% women.
- Mexico’s National Household Survey on Information and Communication Technologies (ENDUTIH)
- ChatGPT’s own data: As of January 2025, 42% of registered users were women and 58% men. This contrast is significant, considering that in 2022, around 80% of users were men, indicating the gap is closing, albeit gradually.
- Mexico-specific study: A gender perspective study by Ibero Puebla and the University of Guadalajara, focusing on university students, does not provide national percentages but concludes that women show more skepticism towards AI. The study highlights a concern that appears stronger among women than men: the fear of acting unethically and compromising their privacy.
shows a minimal overall access gap to the internet (only 1.8 percentage points), but when analyzing daily use of smart devices and AI-powered productivity software, men have a five percentage point advantage.
User Perspectives
Beyond statistics and testimonials, data suggests that the gender gap in AI usage does exist (as with all technology), not due to outright rejection but rather cautiousness, context, and differing expectations.
- Training biases: “We must recognize that AI originates from large US corporations with values quite different from ours in Latin America. For them, it’s not as crucial to consider how Latin American workers or women might benefit,” says Saiph Savage, a renowned Mexican computer scientist.
- AI as “cheating” and a professional disadvantage: “In the workplace, women face greater expectations. If I start using ChatGPT for my tasks, it will give colleagues a reason to delegate more work to me… Although they might say AI will take my job, the truth is that men who know less than I do have already taken my job. I don’t believe AI will change that soon,” explains Dolores Fernández, a Mexican accountant at a publishing house.
- Privacy and security concerns: Women report greater concern about personal data usage and information security. “I’d love to be optimistic about AI, but that requires acknowledging the power dynamics at play,” states Ivana Feldfeber, director of DataGénero (a gender data observatory).
- Lack of real utility: “It’s a useful tool, but I don’t use it. I don’t want to. I can write, I can do makeup, I can cook, and I can perform certain tasks. I can memorize dialogues. Why would I need it?” shares British actress Joanna Lumley.
What can we do to help balance the scales?
Regardless of whether we like it or not, AI is already part of our lives in ways beyond ChatGPT, and we—the users—are the ones shaping the relationship with these tools. Do we want an AI-driven world that excludes certain groups?
