"A 2026 study found that when women and men both use AI assistance to create identical resumes, the women are viewed as less competent and less trustworthy, while the men are credited with taking initiative. This competence penalty helps explain why women have lower AI use rates than men.

Why are women 25% less likely to use artificial intelligence tools than men? New research debunks the notion that the gender gap is primarily due to women’s lack of AI skills, interest or access. Women’s hesitancy to use AI is instead a rational response to a competency penalty that women face when using AI in the workplace."