Time to Close the Gender Gap? Field Experimental Evidence on Generative AI and Gender Gaps in IT Job Applications

Abstract

The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies has sparked debates about their potential to democratize technical work and reduce barriers to entry in IT careers. This study investigates whether possessing GenAI skills influences the gender gap in IT job applications through a field experiment on Upwork. Contrary to expectations that GenAI might level the playing field, we find preliminary evidence that GenAI actually widens the gender gap. While both men and women with GenAI skills show increased rates of applying for IT jobs, the effect is stronger for men, particularly among those with high GenAI proficiency. Our findings challenge optimistic narratives about GenAI’s democratizing potential and suggest that technological advances alone cannot address gender inequalities. These results alert policymakers about GenAI’s unintended consequence of widening gender gaps and inform the development of targeted interventions to mitigate inequalities.