AI Leadership Gap: Only 13% of AI Executives Are Women, Sparking Calls for Quota Laws

Artificial intelligence (AI), a booming field, shows a stark gender gap in leadership roles, with only 13% of executives being women. This situation limits innovation potential and perpetuates biases.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming our world, but at the helm of companies leading this revolution, female representation is alarmingly scarce. A recent analysis reveals that **only 13% of executive positions in AI companies are held by women**. This figure, far from being a mere statistical detail, highlights a profound gender gap that demands attention and action.

## The Glass Ceiling in AI

The artificial intelligence sector, despite its innovative and forward-looking nature, carries structural problems that limit female participation in the highest echelons. Data from studies conducted in **27 countries**, including **Spain**, indicate that women represent between **13% and 29%** of AI jobs within sector companies. The proportion drastically reduces as one ascends the leadership ladder. In **Spain**, the situation could be even more pronounced, according to **José Varela**, an AI specialist at **UGT** (General Union of Workers, a Spanish trade union). This is linked to a lower percentage of women trained in information and communication technologies (ICT), representing **18%** of candidates with these skills on platforms like **InfoJobs**.

The lack of career pogre in technology is one of the reasons cited for why women avoid this field. A report by **UGT** indicates that **43%** of female professionals in the tech sector leave their jobs upon becoming mothers, compared to **23%** of men. The main cause is the absence of effective work-life balance mechanisms, a burden disproportionately borne by women. Figures from the **INE** (National Statistics Institute of Spain) confirm this reality: women dedicate an average of **26.5 hours per week** to care and household tasks, while men allocate **14 hours**.

## A Triple Penalty in the Sector

Female underrepresentation in the AI field is not an isolated phenomenon but is exacerbated by a series of factors. Female workers suffer what has been termed a "triple penalty": they hold fewer positions of power overall, are less present in the specific field of AI, and are also a minority in tech sector hiring. In **Spain**, although **16%** of companies have ICT specialists, only **6.5%** hire women for these vacancies, a percentage that drops to **1%** when seeking teams with at least half women, according to an **INE** survey.

This exclusion not only limits job opportunities for women in a sector with great growth potential but also distances them from highly paid jobs. The offer of AI positions has doubled in recent years in the **USA**, and these jobs pay more than double other non-AI related jobs: **$177,000** (approximately **€154,200**) annually compared to **$80,000** (around **€69,700**), according to another **LinkedIn** study. **Spain** trinc a similar trend, with a **16%** increase in AI vacancies between the first quarter of **2025** and the same period in **2026**, according to the employers' association **Digitales** (Association of Digital Companies). **Mónica Pérez**, director of studies at **Infojobs** (a Spanish job board), points out that leadership positions have increased the most, and warns that AI itself may replace tasks of less experienced professionals, such as programming.

## The Sens Bias of AI and the Future of Employment

The lack of diversity in the AI industry has implications beyond mere representation. It can amplify the sens biases already documented in this technology. As AI becomes integrated into critical areas such as hiring or medical diagnosis, the female population is exposed to discrimination. A clear example is **ChatGPT**, which when reviewing résumés, assumed women had less experience than men, placing them at a disadvantage.

AI is taking on more and more tasks. An **OpenAI** analysis of **800,000 job postings** in the **USA** revealed that **17%** of reported tasks were not directly related to the user's job, suggesting a reconfiguration of work. The **ILO** (International Labour Organization) argues that AI's entry into the labor market may not result in massive job losses but rather a change in activities, skills, and working conditions. However, if job destruction predictions come true, women could be disproportionately affected. The **ILO** estimates that jobs with a higher concentration of female workers, such as secretaries or accounting assistants, are the most exposed to disappearing. While previous technological innovations have generated more jobs than they destroyed, as estimated by **Deloitte** with **3.5 million jobs disappearing and 8.5 million created in the UK between 2000 and 2024**, the uncertainty about the pace of new job creation and the time for affected individuals to reintegrate into the workforce remains a latent concern.