AI bias threatens gender gains in supply chains

Artificial intelligence could reverse hard-won gains in gender diversity if supply chain organisations fail to address bias in the data used to train and operate AI systems. According to supply chain industry body SAPICS, a study of 133 AI systems found that 44% demonstrated clear gender bias. Large language models repeatedly associated women with domesticity and childcare while linking men to business, leadership and career success. UN Women also found that when researchers asked large language models to complete a sentence beginning with a person’s gender, about one in five responses was sexist or misogynistic. “While AI itself isn’t biased, it’s a mirror. When trained on historical data, AI tools reflect the gender prejudices that already exist. It’s the classic rule of supply chain: garbage in, garbage out. If left unchecked, AI won’t just mirror past inequities, it will amplify and accelerate them at scale,” warned SAPICS. The organisation hosted a panel discussion on Women in Supply Chain Leadership at its conference in Cape Town, where speakers explained that recruitment algorithms often favoured male candidates because they had been trained on decades of historical data reflecting and amplifying existing inequalities. While algorithms do not create bias, the data used to train them shapes their output. Panellists said the problem could partly be attributed to the fact that women accounted for only 22% of AI and data science professionals. Considering the extraordinary pace at which AI is being adopted, the technology’s potential impact on gender equality could not be ignored. AI is becoming integral to modern supply chain operations, including demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, warehouse automation and predictive analytics. However, it could also negatively affect how women enter and progress within the profession. The panellists agreed that the ultimate risk was that, by overlaying AI onto the existing gender equity landscape, the industry would not merely stall or fail to make progress but could move backwards. Supply chain specialist Katrina Tyson, who moderated the panel, emphasised the importance of discussing AI’s impact on women in supply chain. “The true value of AI isn’t headcount or cost reduction, it’s elevating and strengthening our existing people. When routine tasks are automated, leaders reclaim their most valuable asset: time to think, reflect and approach complex problems with creativity and nuance,” she said. “Used intentionally as a thought partner to augment our thinking rather than outsourcing it, AI strengthens existing leaders by pairing deeply human qualities like empathy, intuition and consensus with the scale, speed and power of technology. “A good AI strategy doesn’t look to replace talent, but to give exceptional leaders the space to actually lead. Crucially, that includes ensuring women are actively involved in selecting, testing and evaluating these AI tools to catch hidden biases before they are amplified.” LV