As I explored in last week’s post, AI gender bias is a major problem. It disproportionately impacts women because we do a lot of invisible labor, both at home and at work. That means we have less energy to learn new tools.
On top of that, AI is more likely to disrupt industries that are predominantly worked in by women.
Businesses therefore need to do more to support the women in their workplaces. Your most capable leaders could be buried under the weight of responsibility and you’ll never know without providing them with the support they need.
Don’t assume everyone starts from the same point
Our energy levels ebb and flow just like AI credits. And, just like AI companies change the rules over how many credits a task takes seemingly whenever they feel like it, so too, do our bodies.
Some days, we might fly through tasks within a few hours. Other times, what would normally come easily takes gargantuan effort. That’s not a problem with the person, but with the system being unable to adapt.
The pressure is always on to perform at work. But sometimes, when you’re juggling a gazillion responsibilities and you slept badly last night, and you’ve got no appetite because you’re worried about your dog at the vet, or waiting on a child’s test results, you just don’t have as much mental bandwidth.
No one comes to work with the same energy level as their colleague, and nobody has the same energy level every day.
Rather than worry about how switched on employees are, and how many AI credits they used this week, focus on what they’re actually doing.
Are they doing the work? Are they doing it to a high quality?
That should matter more than their AI usage or how long they spent signed into Teams last week. If they’re doing the work, does it really matter if it was at three o’clock in the morning when the kids were asleep, so long as they didn’t expect anyone to reply right away?
Combatting AI gender bias means being willing to meet employees where they are so they can do their best work, and you can get the best out of them.
Have diverse decision makers
Just 29% of C-Suite executives are women, despite making up 49% of entry-level roles. Even now, in 2026.
It’s harder for female-led businesses to get investment. Even now, in 2026.
Women still have to do more work to get the same results, and not due to any lack of ability.
Businesses that have more diverse leadership teams are more profitable, more sustainable, and more adaptable. So why aren’t more women making it to the top?
It’s time to remove the groupthink. If businesses truly want to innovate, they need to overcome AI gender bias and remember the importance of diverse decision making.
Teach people when to use AI (and when not to)
Despite the prevalence of AI, most people aren’t taught how to use it. They have to figure it out on their own.
This trial-and-error approach takes longer than an hour-long or day-long training session. It gets expensive, too.
Some people are faster learners than others, but isn’t it better to get everyone on the same page earlier? That way, they know when it is (and isn’t) acceptable to use AI. They don’t put your internal data at risk, nor do they create security flaws in your software.
They also know how to use it properly, so then you don’t waste credits on someone figuring out how to use it. Since women have less spare time for learning due to everything else on our plates, this can be an important step towards reducing AI gender bias.
Remember your company culture
Technology companies have to evolve faster than ever. But prioritizing habits that can lead to burnout, like working late nights and weekends, is just going to mean you miss out on next-generation employees who value their out-of-work life.
Employees’ hobbies and interests shouldn’t be an afterthought. They’re an important part of what makes someone who they are.
They can even improve your company’s ability to innovate if you allow people the time and space to explore, rather than expecting their lives to revolve around work.
Since women are at higher risk of job-related burnout, this is another area where AI gender bias comes into play.
Praise (and promote) everyone equally
Men are 27% more likely to be praised for using AI than women, according to Lean In. If we use it to do a good job, the response isn’t a high five, it’s questioning if we actually did the work.
We need to level the playing field when it comes to AI gender bias. Either praise everyone equally for the same job, or don’t praise anyone at all.
To work on this, it might involve training everyone — or updating everyone’s training — on unconscious biases.
Even with prior training, bad habits are easy to slip back into. Think about driving a car: when it’s been a long time since you last took a test, bad habits like putting your foot on the gas when driving down a long, straight road, or forgetting to use indicators can happen.
Alongside this lack of recognition, women often have to prove we’re capable before we receive a promotion. Meanwhile, men get promoted on their potential.
Ask — and actually listen
All of your employees are feeling the weight of AI, regardless of their role. And regardless of AI gender bias. Budgets are ballooning and employees are being told to just “find what it can do” without any real guidance a lot of the time.
Checking in with them to see how AI is impacting their role shows them that you do value them and want to know how you can help.
Sending an employee survey is a simple way to ask these questions. An anonymous survey allows employees to air their grievances and concerns without fear of consequences.
Workrowd can send surveys for you. Choose set milestones or groups, and let the software analyze the data. It’s quick, simple, and gives you more time to act on the results. Get in touch to find out more.
Conclusion
When it comes to innovation, there are always winners and losers. However, the reason certain groups fall behind isn’t always because they’re bad at something. It’s because those in charge don’t include them in key decisions.
Underrepresented groups have different experiences. When projects exclude our voices, accommodations that factor in our life experiences get overlooked.
People often mistake those accommodations as slowing down progress. But actually, they can speed it up. Because it means you don’t need to change or update things retrospectively, which is a far more cumbersome process.
Combat AI gender bias and support the women in your workplace with Workrowd. Send employee surveys and organize your employee groups to help your business grow. Get in touch to find out more.
