The field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has been traditionally male-dominated. 

According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Women represent only one-third of the STEM workforce (35%), with consistently lower wages than men. 

Despite numerous efforts to address this issue, progress has been slow, and gender disparities continue to persist.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a potential game-changer, with its ability to identify and address gender disparities, promote diversity, and empower women in STEM. 

Role of AI in Promoting Gender Diversity and Empowering Women 

AI is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize the workplace, particularly in the areas of recruitment, career development, and retention.  

AI-powered tools can analyze data and identify patterns that HR and managers may not recognize, leading to better decision-making and more objective evaluations.  

These tools can also help create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, which can help attract and retain diverse talent. 

AI in Recruitment and Hiring 

AI-powered tools can eliminate the biases that often creep into the recruitment and hiring process, leading to a more diverse workforce.  

According to a recent study, increasing gender diversity in the workplace could add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025. 

AI-powered tools can analyze resumes and job descriptions to identify gender-biased language and provide suggestions for neutral language. Similarly, these tools can help identify patterns in job postings that tend to attract male or female candidates and adjust them accordingly.  

AI recruitment tools analyze objective candidate data, like education and work experience, to identify patterns for success instead of relying on subjective criteria such as appearance or personal connections. This can help identify qualified candidates who might be overlooked due to unconscious biases. 

Use of AI in Closing the Gender Pay Gap

Hiring more women in STEM is not enough; companies must also focus on retaining them through effective strategies. 

AI can play a vital role in closing the gender pay gap by providing objective salary data based on job titles, responsibilities, and market rates.  

According to a Glassdoor study, the gender pay gap in the US is currently 18%, meaning that women earn only 82 cents for every dollar men earn.  

AI can help to address this disparity by providing data-driven insights into fair pay practices. By analyzing large datasets, AI can identify any pay discrepancies and ensure that women are paid fairly and equitably. This not only helps to close the gender pay gap but also promotes job satisfaction. 

AI in Career Development 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform the way women in STEM develop and advance their careers. It can be used to provide customized career guidance by analyzing data on job history, educational background, and professional achievements.  

Based on this analysis, AI-powered tools like Draup can identify areas for improvement and offer tailored recommendations for Reskilling/Upskilling women in STEM. This personalized approach to career development can help women in STEM confidently pursue their career goals and also improve employee retention. 

AI can also help women explore new job opportunities by analyzing job postings, salaries, and industry trends. This provides valuable insights into which jobs are in high demand and which industries are growing. Using AI-powered tools, women in STEM can make informed career decisions and stay updated with industry trends and opportunities. 

AI’s Impact on Workplace Culture 

Workplace culture plays a significant role in promoting diversity and inclusion.  

In fact, companies that use AI to improve diversity and inclusion in their workforce see a 72% increase in their ability to improve employee retention. 

AI-powered tools can help create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture by identifying potential areas of conflict or bias and providing suggestions for improvement.  

AI tools can also help ensure that company policies are inclusive and equitable. For example, it can analyze performance data to identify potential issues with performance evaluations, such as differences in how men and women are evaluated. This information can help managers make more objective decisions and ensure that all employees are evaluated fairly. 

Potential Drawbacks of Relying Too Heavily on AI for Diversity Initiatives 

While AI has the potential to revolutionize diversity initiatives, it is important to recognize that it is not a panacea. Over-reliance on AI can exclude critical human perspectives and perpetuate biases if not properly trained and calibrated. Additionally, the use of AI in recruitment and hiring can create ethical dilemmas around transparency and accountability, which must be addressed. 

Draup’s talent intelligence platform promotes gender diversity in STEM by removing bias, providing insights on high performers, and enabling informed hiring decisions. With features like Diversity Navigator, companies can match with the right talent based on skills, location, and project experience to build an equal representation of women in the workplace.