Women lag in GenAI courses despite soaring demand
Women make up just 31 per cent of generative AI (GenAI) course enrolments in the UK, highlighting a persistent gender divide in one of tech’s fastest-growing fields.
According to a new report from Coursera, UK enrolments in GenAI courses surged by 227 per cent over the past year.
Yet, female participation remains well below parity, mirroring the 32 per cent global average.
This imbalance is part of a broader trend in STEM and AI careers.
While the number of women entering full time STEM degrees in the UK increased by 50 per cent between 2011, and 2020, they still make up just 26 per cent of the UK tech workforce.
The same pattern is playing out in GenAI, despite its growing influence across industries.
Dr Alexandra Urban, learning science research lead at Coursera, warned that the gender gap in AI is not just a workforce issue, but has real world consequences.
“Studies show that 44 per cent of AI systems exhibit gender bias when female perspectives are missing from development. Expanding women’s access to GenAI skills is critical to reducing bias and ensuring more inclusive AI innovation.”
The report identified the key barriers preventing women from fully engaging in GenAI.
It revealed that women are six times more likely to enrol in beginner level GenAI courses than intermediate ones, highlighting a gap in confidence.
Balancing work and home responsibilities also seems to remain a major challenge, with many women citing a lack of time as the main reason for discontinuing various courses.
Additionally, uncertainty around how AI and GenAI may apply to their careers may prompt hesitation.
While 46 per cent of men think GenAI has the potential of advancing their careers , 36 per cent of women feel the same.
This perception gap discourages upskilling.
Despite these challenges, demand for AI expertise in the UK is accelerating.
Government-backed AI scholarships and increasing AI adoption across sectors create significant opportunities, if access to GenAI skills widens.
It comes amidst a broader shortage of the nation’s tech skills, which may stifle the government’s AI push.