AI is changing how we work. The stakes are higher for women.
Since ChatGPT took the nation by storm in November 2022, businesses have increasingly turned to generative artificial technology to save time and money by automating tasks like writing marketing copy, processing invoices and generating code — which had long been the purview of human workers.
Along the way, job functions have started to change. It’s a trend that will continue — but it will impact women on a greater scale than men.
According to a 2023 study from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, nearly 59 million women in the U.S. are in roles highly exposed to automation versus 49 million men. That’s because more women fill so-called white-collar jobs — defined by jobs site Indeed as roles that typically require more education and don’t include physical labor — and these are the roles that will be most impacted by AI.
And yet, “Women tend to be more reluctant in adopting and using this technology,” said Maryam Alavi, a professor of IT Management at the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech. “I think that’s not a good approach because we don’t want them to be left behind.”
To her point, a February 2025 report from Harvard Business School found women are using generative AI at a 25% lower rate than men, which could widen the gender gap in wages and career opportunities. A more recent study from AI company OpenAI, however, found the gap with its ChatGPT chatbot has “narrowed dramatically” as 52% of users had typically feminine names, as of July 2025.
Mark McNeilly, professor of the practice of marketing at Kenan-Flagler, said automation at work isn’t necessarily bad. Some employees will find themselves with more time to be creative and to think critically. Others, unfortunately, will lose their jobs. And, somewhere along the way, new jobs will be created.
“I was talking to the former CEO of WebMD. He said using AI is like starting every football game in the red zone,” McNeilly added. “It gets you 80% there. If you’re not using it right, you’re at a significant disadvantage.”
As National Women in AI Month wraps up, here’s a closer look at how women can leverage AI to make their work lives better, insulate themselves from downsizing and maybe even break the glass ceiling.
Learn the essentials
Jensen Huang, CEO of AI chipmaker Nvidia, put it this way: “You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.”
For McNeilly, this underscores the importance of at least understanding the basics. There are plenty of online courses to help you do this — but you can also learn by simply trying out generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.
“It is critical that women develop the mindset and skills needed for effective adoption of generative AI in their work,” Alavi added. “Strengthening these capabilities will help ensure that women not only benefit from AI-driven productivity gains but also play a leading role in shaping how this technology evolves and is applied.”
Think about how AI can apply to all parts of your job
It’s also important to understand how AI will impact your role and industry specifically, which positions you to harness AI for better outcomes at work.
Alavi recommended thinking about how you can apply AI to be more productive and innovative. That includes figuring out how to perform your job faster or more efficiently, as well as how to do old tasks in new ways.
Examples include using AI to brainstorm ideas and supplement copy you’ve already written.
“It’s almost like you’re with a partner, bouncing ideas off,” McNeilly added.
You can also use AI to summarize reports, blogs and emails to help reduce information overload, which can help you think more clearly about the task at hand or prepare for meetings.
Tobi Lutke, CEO of e-commerce platform Shopify, called this effort to use AI effectively at work “reflexive AI,” in a memo he shared on X.
“Every time you start something, you reflexively think, ‘How can I use AI to do this?’” McNeilly explained of reflexive AI. “You only get that by playing with it all the time because then it becomes a habit.”
Leverage AI to finally get that promotion
AI may even offer women a unique opportunity for advancement.
Since women have traditionally excelled in roles like customer support, marketing and HR, which are among those most impacted by AI, Alavi suggested they use generative AI to climb the corporate ladder.
“By embracing AI as a productivity and innovation tool, women can strengthen their leadership positions and influence,” she added.
Words of warning about AI
You don’t need to learn the intricacies of AI, like machine learning and neural networks. Instead, McNeilly said, “You need to take the course that tells you how to drive the car, not how to make the car.”
He also cautioned against letting AI think for you.
“There’s going to be this gap between those who use AI to get smarter and those who use AI to be lazy,” McNeilly added. “Over time, that gap is going to put you at a disadvantage if you’re using it to be lazy.”
It’s also important to be aware of the limitations of AI — and what your company’s policies are for the use of AI in the workplace. There are already cautionary tales: Some professionals have gotten into trouble for using AI to generate court filings citing legal cases that don’t exist, and to write recommendations for books that don’t exist, for example.
For her part, Alavi said we’ll have to adjust to a “continuous adaptation process” as virtually all jobs change over time. But she cautioned against thinking about this period of profound change in terms of replacement or loss.
“The right mindset is, ‘How can AI make us better performers as human beings?’” she said. “It’s not humans against machines, it’s humans with machines. If we just learn how to leverage this very powerful technology, we all can elevate our performance.”
AJC Her+Story is a new series in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighting women founders, creators, executives and professionals. It is about building a community. Know someone the AJC should feature in AJC Her+Story? Email us at herstory@ajc.com with your suggestions. Check out all of our AJC Her+Story coverage at ajc.com/herstory.
