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Over the past year, the dominant discourse around artificial intelligence has been that women are lagging behind. From lack of representation in the AI talent pool to reduced daily usage and trust gaps.
But a new report by membership and community platform Chief and Harris Poll suggests the opposite may be true.
This is not to say that the challenges are not real. Lean In research found that women are less valued when it comes to using AI in the workplace, have less management support when implementing AI, and are more likely to fear losing their jobs to AI. This is a structural barrier that women themselves should urgently pay attention to. But it would be short-sighted to confuse these access gaps with a lack of leadership or engagement.
While many companies measure AI leadership by speed or who can implement the latest tools the fastest, women leaders seem to be playing a different game altogether. According to the report, 80% of senior female leaders already play an active strategic role in their organizations’ AI efforts, with many focusing on governance, ethics, and designing how humans and AI work together, rather than building flashy tools.
These roles become invisible as the broader business conversation around AI primarily rewards technological acceleration.
In many ways, the report reframes what it means to be “ahead” in AI, with women leaders warning that speed itself can be a risk.
68% of women leaders surveyed said their organizations’ executives and boards prioritize speed of AI adoption over sustainable workforce adoption. Meanwhile, 87% said they have already seen negative impacts on their organizations when prioritizing AI without paralleling human development.
The impact is clear, with leaders reporting a decline in strategic thinking, erosion of organizational knowledge, weakened team culture, and increased over-reliance on AI systems.
The report also notes growing concerns about the impact of AI on entry-level workers, with 69% saying their organizations have reduced early-career hires because of AI capabilities. While some companies celebrate increased efficiency, many women leaders seem more concerned about what is being lost with them, such as mentorship pipelines, management development, and critical thinking skills that are often built through foundational work experience.
The report found that 81% believe that if organizations don’t continue to invest in talent development now, they risk not having effective managers in the future.
At the same time, many women leaders have already created a practical framework that organizations are still discussing in the boardroom. 78% said they have personal criteria for deciding which tasks should remain human and which tasks should be delegated to AI.
So, are women lagging behind when it comes to AI? It depends on your definition of “behind”.
The report reveals that women leaders are not necessarily winning the sprint towards maximum automation. They are building for durability, betting that the organizations that succeed in the AI era will be those that protect human judgment, relationships, and long-term capabilities as technology advances.
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