Why is nobody talking about this AI problem?
Should women be punished for showing caution in adopting AI tools?
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Since 2016 our training has helped to level the playing field at work. Why is nobody talking about this AI problem?Should women be punished for showing caution in adopting AI tools?
Photo: olia danilevich Hi readers, Abadesi here. Hope this finds you well. This essay is part of a series I’m developing “Cultural Intelligence in Action”: a framework for leaders building high-functioning, healthy teams. Before we jump into that: This week’s newsletter is sponsored by ZEALOT, an international creative agency with offices in London, NY and LA, specialising in the film and television industry across trailers, TV spots, social/digital, promos and print. They’re hiring an office intern for a paid four month contract. To learn more about the role and apply, click here. Deadline is Friday May 29th. Spread the word. Why is nobody talking about this AI problem? It started with naming AI assistants after women: it continues by automating our roles in the office. In 2011, Apple launched Siri with a default voice that was female. The design intent was clear: a helpful, responsive, non-threatening assistant that would do what you asked without argument. Amazon’s Alexa followed. Then Microsoft’s Cortana. The original Google Assistant, female by default. These design choices tell us something important about whose intelligence our systems are designed to serve, and whose labour they are designed to replace. The macro level: what AI has inherited New research from the International Labour Organisation confirms that generative AI is set to affect women’s jobs - administrative, clerical, and service roles - more than men’s. Women are overrepresented in automatable roles because these roles have been historically feminised based on gender stereotypes. Remember the film ‘Hidden Figures’? Women were trusted with computer coding at a time it was deemed secretarial work. Lower status, lower pay, less protection.
Photo: 20th Century Studios How times have changed. Now, women are underrepresented in technical roles. According to a recent statement from UK Government’s Women in Tech Taskforce:
AI didn’t create this inequity. It inherited it. And it’s amplifying it. The caution is grounded in reason: should we suffer as a result? New research from Harvard Business School adds a further layer. Women are adopting generative AI tools at significantly lower rates than men. Not for lack of skill or access. Women are more likely to question whether it’s ethical to use these tools.
Photo: Ketut Subiyanto We see the bias embedded in the systems. We notice what the tools get wrong, whose voices they amplify, whose they diminish. And that ethical awareness — that cultural intelligence — is being framed as a “skills gap”. Women who hesitate to use AI tools are falling behind in productivity metrics, losing ground in hiring processes that reward AI fluency, and being positioned as laggards in a technological transition we have good reasons to be sceptical of. Oppressive systems create a problem, then penalise those who call it out. That is a cultural intelligence failure at civilisational scale. Thanks for reading Hustle Crew Weekly! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. What AI is doing to your team right now The cultural intelligence gap around AI isn’t only happening in academic research and government reporting: it’s happening inside your team right now. Early AI adopters get more done in less time. They look more capable in meetings. They get the credit for the insight that a language model helped them synthesise in a few minutes. The people who adopt AI most confidently tend to be the people who already felt most at home in the existing system. Those with the most tolerance for risk, the most freedom to experiment without consequences. In most organisations, that dominant group isn’t a random sample. Meanwhile, the people who are more cautious: those who have more to lose if they make a visible mistake, who are asking harder questions about whether these tools should be trusted, fall behind on a metric that has nothing to do with their talent and abilities. Organisations that don’t notice this aren’t neutral. By default, they are making an active choice to let a new technology deepen existing inequities. In my Cultural Intelligence in Action framework, after exploring ‘The Story Behind The Story’ I invite teams to examine their ‘Communication Infrastructure’. These are the shared tools, systems and rituals that build transparency and ensure everyone is operating by the same playbook — and honouring the same best practices. Questions to ask in your next team meeting:
If you'd like to find out more about how your team can leverage AI tools with an inclusive approach, or about my Cultural Intelligence in Action framework, email me on [email protected]. ZEALOT is hiringZEALOT sponsor today’s newsletter; they are looking for an enthusiastic Office Intern to join their growing and vibrant team. This is an entry-level opportunity designed to help someone at the start of their career take their first step into the world of film marketing and post-production, regardless of background or prior experience. This is an entry-level role and no prior industry experience is required. Salary £26,500 per annum, pro rata for the 4-month contract, paid monthly. For more details including how to apply before the deadline on Friday 29th May, click here. Techish PodcastIs on spring break. Catch re-runs, including a recording from our live show with Ryan Leslie, on YouTube. Founder MasterclassCheck out Abadesi’s B2B Sales Masterclass on-demand for help on growing your business. Free ResourcesWant to get in touch?
Thanks for reading Hustle Crew Weekly! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get in touch at hustlecrew.co or follow us on your fave platform @hustlecrewlive
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