Can AI fix the gender gap in STEM? Here's what the data says  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the world of work, promising to address pressing economic issues such as improving people's productivity and generating new jobs.

With AI professionals in high demand, employers might expect to draw on the broadest possible talent pool to accelerate their AI journey. Yet, as World Economic Forum research has highlighted, women’s share in the STEM workforce is only just over 28% – compared to more than 47% among non-STEM workers. What is more, women make up more than a third of STEM graduates but only just over 12% of STEM executives.

A new white paper from the World Economic Forum and LinkedIn, Gender Parity in the Intelligent Age suggests that AI risks widening the STEM gender gap rather than reducing it, and explores strategies to reverse this trend.

The gap between men and women in technology roles has narrowed over time, but more needs to be done to prevent women being left behind. At 28.2%, they still make up less than a third of the STEM workforce, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024.

A key factor is that while more women than ever are graduating in STEM subjects and taking up technology careers, a significant number then drop out of these careers over time. The white paper points to research from LinkedIn showing that, of the 35.5% who graduated in 2017, only 29.6% of women were still in STEM roles a year later. Drop-off rates have remained similar in the years since then.

Adding to this is the 'drop to the top' phenomenon. While women's representation generally declines as they rise through the ranks of an organisation, the drop is particularly marked in STEM industries. Close to a quarter of women hold managerial positions in STEM (24.4%), but only 12.2% reach the C-suite.

The white paper suggests that the rise of generative AI presents an opportunity to foster greater gender equity in career progression and seniority.

The outlook for women’s future in an AI-driven economy raises concerns.

The white paper finds that AI can augment some current job roles, while at the same time disrupting others and causing some to disappear. (There are also a proportion of roles with skills that AI cannot replicate, which remain unaffected in the short term.)

LinkedIn data from the US suggests that men are more likely to work in AI-augmented occupations – and to hold on to their jobs (54% of men v 46% of women). Women are more likely to be in roles that could be disrupted by AI (57% women v 43% men), while both genders have a relatively equal share (48% v 52%) of the niche roles less likely to be immediately affected.

Women and men also vary in their attitudes towards AI and the technology transition. The Forum's Gender Gap research highlights that only 54% of women expect the skills required for their jobs to change significantly in the next five years, compared to 61% of men. Women are also less aware of how the shift to generative AI will affect their roles (62% of women v 68% of men). Additionally, LinkedIn has found that women are slightly more reluctant to use AI than men (34% v 40%).

However, the white paper also points out that these attitudes are changing rapidly as talent gears up to meet the vast demand for generative AI and other technology skills.

Randstad’s Workmonitor 2025 report finds AI is top-three skilling priority for 40% of global talent – up from 29% the year before. While men were more likely to say so (44%) than women (36%), the gap was less pronounced when it came to their confidence in the technology and AI skills they already had (73% vs. 69%).

Data from LinkedIn supports this trend. While only 23.5% of those who listed AI engineering skills in their profiles were women in 2018, their share had risen to 29.4% in 2025. LinkedIn also found that this gap had narrowed in all but one of the 75 countries surveyed.

Much greater momentum is needed to close the gender gap in STEM further. The rapid progress of generative AI could be a turning point as the scarcity of AI talent may entice employers to expand their talent pool by including groups that have previously been overlooked, like women.

Rather than missing out on half the available talent, this shift will enable employers to build early mover advantages around AI. Policymakers can also play a role in paving the way for economic and social transformation, generating growth and ensuring no one is left behind.

The Gender and AI white paper was launched as part of the Global Gender Parity Sprint 2030, organized by the Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society. Through its Gender Parity Accelerators, the centre aims to close gender gaps in the labour force participation, and wages and leadership globally. It has so far helped more than one million women access economic opportunities and mobilized over $24 million to tackle barriers to gender parity.