What happened
Dame Debbie Crosbie, Nationwide Building Society CEO and new HM Treasury women in finance champion, warns AI risks reversing workplace progress for women. Crosbie highlights that while women hold 42% of FTSE 350 board seats, only 8% are chief executives. She states AI is not gender-neutral without intervention, citing 119,000 predominantly female clerical roles in tech, financial, and professional services at risk, and women being 20% less likely than men to use generative AI tools.
Why it matters
AI adoption without deliberate, inclusive strategies risks widening gender gaps in progression, productivity, and pay. Chief executives and HR teams face economic and social costs if they fail to integrate inclusion into AI strategies, as automation disproportionately impacts women through at-risk clerical roles and lower generative AI tool usage. This pattern mirrors past technological shifts where insufficient support for women in STEM led to innovation and productivity lags. Leaders must prioritise inclusive AI strategies to maintain competitiveness.
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