AI Usage in Companies: Does Gender Matter?

In light of the ongoing discourse surrounding the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and the debates surrounding the opportunities and risks of AI, this contribution aims to identify the prevalence of AI usage within German companies, as well as company characteristics that facilitate the usage of AI. As, the call emphasises, gender is a significant factor to consider when analysing AI usage at the labour market or in organisations. Additionally, the usage of AI in German companies, along with the proportion of women in the labour force, is above the international average, a particular focus is placed on the role of the gender composition of companies for the usage of AI. The analysis is based on empirical quantitative data from the BIBB Training Panel, a representative panel for companies in Germany. The companies are classified as follows: companies with a 1) predominantly female workforce, 2) mixed workforce, 3) predominantly male workforce. The data indicate that the usage of AI in Germany has been gradually increasing since 2020. The preliminary results of the logistic regression, which considers various other impacts on the usage of AI (size, sector, digitalisation level, innovative culture), indicate that in comparison to male-dominated companies, mixed-companies utilise significantly more AI in 2023. However, no significant difference was observed in the use of AI between female-dominated and mixed-companies. These findings suggest that a diverse workplace may foster a conducive environment for AI adoption. Nevertheless, the data does not identify which employees are using AI. Further investigation is necessary to ascertain what is driving this trend and who is using AI in mixed-companies. Nevertheless, the findings may be generalizable to other countries, as they indicate that more mixed or gender-diverse workplaces may be better equipped to utilize new technologies such as AI.