All you have to do is open LinkedIn, browse the headlines on business websites, or listen to panel discussions at industry conferences to get the impression that artificial intelligence (AI) is doing everything for us these days. According to tech evangelists, algorithms write emails, analyze markets flawlessly, optimize taxes, and in their spare time, they practically make coffee. The reality for Polish businesses—especially smaller ones, run with great success by women—is, however, far less utopian.
When we step outside the Silicon Valley bubble and take a closer look at data from our own backyard, we notice a phenomenon that market analysts and business sociologists are increasingly referring to as the “female AI gap.” What is the real cause of this? Is it a fear of the new, of technology we don’t understand? Absolutely not. As a law firm that advises businesses on a daily basis, we observe this phenomenon up close. The causes are much more complex, and paradoxically, the primary factor is not a technological barrier at all, but the law. There is also a dramatic lack of time and a mismatch between the training market and the real needs of microenterprises, including those run by women.
Women and AI—the barrier is not a lack of access to technology, but a lack of knowledge about how to implement AI into the process
Let’s start by looking at the statistics. In 2025, approximately 20% of EU companies with at least 10 employees were using AI. In Poland, that figure was only 8.36%. If we look at a cross-section of company sizes, across the EU, approximately 17% of small companies, 30.36% of medium-sized companies, and 55.03% of large companies were using AI.
It is worth noting that Eurostat data does not directly include most sole proprietorships and the smallest microenterprises. And it is precisely in this segment that the majority of women-owned businesses in Poland operate. Polish women excel at running their own agile businesses. However, official statistics often overlook their daily struggles with implementing innovations, serving only to highlight the extent of Poland’s lag behind other countries.
So what actually accounts for this phenomenon? Part of the “female AI gap” is, in fact, a result of the small scale of these businesses and their smaller investment budgets. It also stems from a concentration in service industries, the lack of an IT or analytics department, and insufficiently organized data and processes. The primary barrier is often not a lack of access to technology, but a lack of knowledge about how to apply AI to a specific business process, cost, or revenue stream. When female business owners do adopt innovations, they primarily use these tools for writing messages, creating posts, and searching for information. They are much less likely to use AI solutions for process automation or data analysis.
Why Are Female Entrepreneurs Falling Behind? Four Major Barriers
Analyses reveal four main reasons why women are less likely to use advanced artificial intelligence features.
1. There aren’t enough hours in the day—the time crunch
Do you know what a typical day looks like for the owner of an accounting firm, a clothing boutique, or a public relations agency? The owner of a microbusiness often juggles sales, customer service, administrative tasks, and organizing childcare all at once. The promise that artificial intelligence will immediately relieve her of these responsibilities is a myth. In practice, AI initially requires time for testing, reviewing results, and adjusting procedures. Implementing new technology is an investment of hours that simply aren’t available in her schedule. For this reason, a lack of time can be a more acute barrier than a lack of money.
2. Exclusion from informal technology networks
Technology has long been a male-dominated field, which is reflected in everyday business relationships. The statistics are stark: women still account for about one-fifth of ICT professionals in the EU. In Poland, they make up about 18% of this group. From a business perspective, a lower presence in the tech community means fewer informal contacts, fewer recommendations for tools, and fewer people who can help implement a solution. Female entrepreneurs are less likely to have someone to ask, over a proverbial cup of coffee, “What algorithm do you use to sort invoices?”
3. Training that is out of touch with reality
The third problem is the education market, which isn’t keeping pace with the unique needs of small businesses. A typical course titled “Discover the Possibilities of ChatGPT” doesn’t answer the questions of the owner of an accounting firm, a retail store, a professional practice, a real estate agency, or a transportation company. The businesswoman returns from such a training session with a certificate to her name. She knows the tool, but she still doesn’t know which process to automate. This type of education leaves the most important questions unanswered:
- how to measure savings;
- how to integrate data;
- what legal risks are involved;
- who is responsible for verifying the results.
4. Caution isn’t technophobia—it’s business maturity
This is the issue we, as lawyers, encounter most often. Female entrepreneurs approach AI with caution due to security concerns. And they’re right. Entering customer data, employee information, contracts, or medical records into a publicly accessible tool may violate the GDPR, trade secrets, or confidentiality obligations. It’s important to remember that the EU’s GDPR requires, among other things, a legal basis, data minimization, and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of information. Caution, therefore, is not a sign of “technophobia.” Often, it simply means that a female micro-entrepreneur does not have a lawyer or security specialist who could determine what is permissible. She is also often much more concerned about potential liability than her peers who run their own businesses.
Sisterhood in the World of Algorithms: Wise Support
The good news is that women in Polish business are well aware of these challenges and are taking matters into their own hands by creating support networks. We see this clearly at the intersection of law and technology.
It is worth noting here that female lawyers are actively supported by the Women in Law Foundation—an organization that does much-needed work to promote equal opportunities, educate, and build bridges between legal professionalism and innovation. The Tri-City Chapter of this foundation was recently established and is led by Anna Kluczek-Kollár, a partner at our LO:ME law firm in Gdynia. Initiatives undertaken by organizations such as the Women in Law Foundation help female entrepreneurs bridge the “AI gap.” Through meetings, discussions, and the sharing of expert knowledge in a safe, supportive environment, it becomes easier to become comfortable with the technology.
How Can We Overcome the Barriers to Using AI in Microbusinesses?
A lack of time, vague training, and entirely justified concerns about the security of customer data are the main factors that lead female entrepreneurs to use AI-based solutions less frequently. So how can we reverse this trend and ensure that AI is no longer used in women-led businesses solely for writing social media posts?
The solution to the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs isn’t yet another event full of technological clichés that wastes their valuable time. The “process—pilot—measurable result” model would definitely be the most effective. It is precisely the lack of a structured, secure testing environment that makes AI so underutilized in micro-businesses.
To truly integrate artificial intelligence into the lifeblood of a company, a female entrepreneur, for example, should:
- select three repetitive tasks, such as responding to inquiries, organizing invoices, or preparing quotes;
- determine which data can be used and which must remain outside the tool (this eliminates the previously mentioned concerns about GDPR violations);
- conduct a four-week pilot;
- measure time, errors, cost, and the number of new customers acquired;
- maintain mandatory human oversight.
This approach addresses the diagnosed causes of the “female AI gap.” It relieves female entrepreneurs of the fear of unwittingly committing an economic crime and allows them to test algorithms on a small scale without disrupting the entire company’s operations.
Artificial intelligence is a tool that can revolutionize women-owned businesses by relieving business owners of the burden of repetitive, tedious tasks. For this to happen, however, we must stop viewing women’s caution as a weakness and start providing them with a precise legal and business framework for their operations.
You don’t have to figure out technology on your own
Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but it is still just a tool. For Polish female entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge in the coming months will not be learning to code, but rather ensuring that AI operates within a safe, legally compliant framework. Support for initiatives such as the Women in Law Foundation and local leaders like Anna Kluczek-Kollár and her law firm LO:ME in Gdynia proves that no one has to go through this process alone. Data security and transparency are the cornerstones of modern business. Let’s keep them in mind as we delegate more and more tasks to machines.
- Anna Kluczek-Kollár appeared on Radio Gdańsk’s “People and Money” program, during which she discussed, among other topics, the “female AI gap.” Listen to the full episode.
