Sheryl Sandberg warns AI gender gap threatens to widen workplace inequality for women

Women Falling Behind Men in AI Recognition Despite Similar Usage

Sheryl Sandberg is sounding the alarm on a developing AI gender gap that could amplify existing workplace disparities for years to come. Her nonprofit Lean In has released new research showing that while 78% of men have used AI for work compared to 73% of women, the more concerning issue lies in how that usage is perceived1

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. Among those using AI, only 18% of women reported receiving praise for doing so, compared with 27% of men—making men 27% more likely to get recognition for using AI2

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. This recognition gap extends to manager support as well: 37% of men said they'd been encouraged to use AI by their manager, while only 30% of women received the same encouragement1

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in early March also found that 33% of men use AI daily, compared to 27% of women2

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. "These small gaps will become really big over time if we don't call attention to them right now," Sandberg told Axios1

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. The concern is particularly acute because AI ability has emerged as the skill many employers say they value most, meaning this AI adoption gap could directly fuel gender pay and promotion inequalities down the line1

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Workplace Biases Resurface in New AI Arena

The gender gap in AI adoption reflects longstanding workplace biases now playing out with new technology. Sandberg points to broader research showing men are more likely to be praised for effort while women are more apt to be criticized1

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. The edge men have in getting recognition for experimenting with AI tools can enhance their reputation, performance evaluations, and opportunities for career advancement, according to the Lean In report1

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. This pattern aligns with 2025 research that found women software engineers who use AI are viewed as less competent than men, as well as a broader body of evidence showing women receive less mentorship and positive feedback at work1

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"The managers who are encouraging the men to use AI and not the women—they may not even know they're doing it," Sandberg told Fortune, emphasizing that biases against women are often unintentional2

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. She argues that surfacing these biases through data is the first step to correcting them, allowing managers to recognize when they're inadvertently providing unequal support2

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Ethical Concerns and Fear of Cheating Hold Women Back

Women's hesitation around AI stems partly from legitimate ethical concerns that could inadvertently slow their adoption. The research found women are 32% more likely to feel concerned that they would be perceived as cheating by using AI, and they also tended to avoid AI over worries about accuracy and ethics3

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. Women are more likely than men to feel threatened, overwhelmed, and like they're engaging in dishonest behavior when using AI tools2

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Bridget Griswold, the newly appointed 25-year-old CEO of Lean In and former Meta product manager, acknowledges the complexity: "These are great concerns to have, and it's awesome that women care about ethics and not cheating. But what's really concerning is that this might inadvertently cause women to use AI less than men"2

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. Some women also expressed worry about the disproportionate impact of AI automation, particularly the threat of layoffs that could affect women more severely3

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New Leadership to Close the Growing Divide

Sandberg announced Griswold as Lean In's new CEO on March 24, replacing longtime CEO and co-founder Rachel Thomas2

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. Despite public criticism of Griswold's age and limited nonprofit experience, Sandberg defended the choice, saying the organization needed an "AI native" with a product background2

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. The appointment comes amid organizational turbulence, with the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, which includes Lean In, shedding a quarter of its staff over the last year through layoffs and voluntary departures, according to The Wall Street Journal2

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Griswold, who joined Lean In as head of product and AI in January, said the organization aims to help women build confidence and accelerate their careers through AI adoption. "We hope that Lean In can be a place that encourages [young women] to use AI and actually [produces] real results," she told Fortune2

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. The pivot to AI comes at a critical moment: only half of companies are prioritizing women's career advancement, and more than 30% are placing little to no priority on advancing women of color, according to Lean In's 2025 Women in the Workplace report2

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. Women's jobs are three times more likely to be automated by AI, and their vulnerability is compounded by underrepresentation in AI leadership and development2

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Sandberg's message remains consistent with her original Lean In philosophy: women need to actively engage with AI despite the challenges. "These differences—which are not that small, but are smallish now—will compound over time, which is why we think it's so important for people to understand them and acknowledge them," she told Fast Company3

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. As AI skills become central to workplace success, the stakes for addressing these disparities have never been higher.