The GenAI gender gap in higher education: Why female caution is not the problem

Recent research documents a gender gap in generative AI (GenAI) usage among higher education students, with female students using these tools less frequently and more cautiously than male students. This pattern is particularly pronounced among high-achieving female students. Existing literature frames this gap as a problem for the GenAI literacy of female students.

This article challenges that framing, arguing that the reasons female students cite for their cautious approach to GenAI, namely concerns regarding academic integrity, GenAI’s accuracy, and critical thinking skills, are all legitimate factors that we want all students to consider as they engage with GenAI. There is a risk that setting male student adoption patterns as the norm and/or framing female caution as problematic normalises uncritical GenAI use for all students. Pedagogical responses need to foster awareness of these concerns in all students, while scaffolding the development of GenAI literacy.