The gender gap in AI

A Pew Research Center survey from February 2026 shows that while overall AI chatbot use has become nearly equal between men and women in the U.S., men still use them more regularly and for different purposes, such as work tasks and entertainment, while women lean toward emotional support. Men also report higher perceived benefits from chatbots in productivity and creativity compared to women, according to the data." "article": "A Pew Research Center survey conducted between February 17-23, 2026, reveals growing but uneven engagement with AI chatbots among U.S. adults, with gender differences persisting despite overall adoption trends. By 2026, 49% of U.S. adults report using chatbots, up from 33% in 2024, with men at 50% and women at 47%. While the gender gap in overall usage has narrowed—men were 11 percentage points more likely to use chatbots in 2024—men still outpace women in daily usage (27% vs. 20%). ChatGPT remains the most widely used platform equally among men and women (44%), but men lead in adoption of other tools like Gemini (29% vs. 20%), Copilot (22% vs. 13%), and Grok (11% vs. 4%). The survey highlights distinct use cases for chatbots by gender. Men more frequently turn to AI for work tasks (40% vs. 35%), searching for information (45% vs. 39%), entertainment (28% vs. 22%), and news (15% vs. 12%). Women, however, are slightly more likely to use chatbots for emotional support (11% vs. 8%) or advice, while both genders report equal use for companionship (4%). Perceived benefits also diverge: men are more likely than women to say chatbots enhance productivity (35% vs. 25%), creativity (23% vs. 19%), and their sense of being informed (30% vs. 26%). Skepticism about AI’s broader impact persists, particularly among women. The survey underscores that while chatbot adoption is rising across genders, men remain more confident in AI’s utility for practical and professional applications. Women’s higher caution may reflect deeper concerns about AI’s role in daily life, though the gap in overall usage has significantly closed since 2024. The data suggests evolving but persistent differences in how men and women integrate AI tools into their routines, with implications for future design and accessibility efforts.