Businesses fail to develop women leaders, despite female involvement in AI being crucial, IBM report finds

Big Blue finds a disparity in the number of UK businesses wanting more women at the table in the age of AI and actually taking steps to develop them

New research from IBM has found a gap between intention and action in diversity when it comes to female representation.

In its UK Female Leadership in the Age of AI Report, it discovered that prioritisation is a roadblock for many organisations, resulting in an unbalanced view in the boardroom which must be addressed if the benefits of AI are to be equally felt.

The report surveyed over 4,000 senior business decision makers across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Italy.

It found that 69 per cent of UK business leaders believe it is important that female leaders are involved in decision-making on AI to avoid male bias in outcomes.

Yet, only 37 per cent of respondents said that advancing more women into leadership roles is a top priority within their organisations.

IBM said this is the lowest figure among all markets surveyed in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and notably lower than the EMEA region average of 51 per cent.

"Ensuring female leaders have a seat at the table in the age of AI is not about ticking a diversity box, it is a strategic imperative," said Dr Nicola Hodson, chief executive of IBM UK & Ireland.

"Clearly, UK business leaders recognise the importance of this. But progress is still needed to equip women with the skills and confidence to position themselves at the forefront of this revolution - steering it towards a future that is inclusive, ethical, and enabling for all."

A watershed moment for female leaders

The age of AI is a watershed moment for female leaders. It is an opportunity for women to take a pivotal leadership role in a technological revolution and shape the business and economic landscapes of the future.

IBM's research also revealed that 41 per cent of UK respondents said that experience with AI would open the doors to innovation-focused roles, while 40 per cent stated that experience in AI would increase their competitive advantage in the labour market.

Accelerated career progression and improved leadership skills were also identified as potential benefits.

Over half admit advancing more women is not a priority

Despite a consensus that women will be integral to the success of AI, just 32 per cent of business leaders surveyed have a female leader in charge of making decisions on AI strategy in their organisations.

This varies significantly across EMEA markets, dropping down to 23 per cent in France and rising to 41 per cent in UAE.

In the UK, only 37 per cent of respondents state that advancing more women into leadership roles is a top, formal business priority within their organisations.

Just over half (52 per cent) of those surveyed in the UK stated it was not a formal priority, but their organisations did strive to do it when they could, suggesting a lack of prioritisation is a barrier to progress.

When it came to identifying the obstacles to improving diversity and inclusion in the AI sector, 28 per cent of UK respondents believe that a lack of digital education at school-age level was the biggest barrier.

A further 21 per cent of those polled believe that low representation of female leadership in the C-suite was the main barrier, and 20 per cent pointed to a lack of interest in diversity and inclusion from technology companies themselves.

IBM said with 79 per cent of UK respondents already deploying generative AI or planning to do so in the next year, there is a real urgency for businesses to accelerate efforts to ensure a representative number of female leaders take up a central position in the journey.