Artificial intelligence isn’t neutral, because it’s built by people, shaped by people, and governed by people.

What the Article Actually Says

Russell Reynolds Associates analyzed 39 AI application and platform organizations and found that women held only 30% of overall leadership roles and just 10% of CEO and top tech roles (Russell Reynolds Associates [RRA], 2025). It also found that women are clustered in HR and legal, not the “CEO feeder” roles that usually lead to the top job, and that many leaders lack confidence that their organizations have the right guidance and safeguards for ethical AI use (RRA, 2025).

The article goes further, arguing that AI systems reflect the biases of the data and people who build them, which is why more balanced leadership matters for safety, fairness, and product design (RRA, 2025). It recommends early succession planning, objective criteria, AI-assisted talent review, and external development communities to help diversify AI leadership pipelines and improve outcomes.

Women Shouldn’t Just Use AI. They Should Help Lead It.

Artificial intelligence isn’t neutral. It’s built by people, shaped by people, and governed by people. That’s why Russell Reynolds Associates’ latest research is so important for first-generation female professionals (FGPs): if women aren’t in the rooms designing, reviewing, and governing AI, the technology will keep reflecting the same narrow assumptions we’ve spent years trying to outgrow (RRA, 2025).

n a study of 39 AI application and platform organizations, women held only 30% of leadership roles and just 10% of CEO and top tech roles (RRA, 2025). Women were concentrated in HR and legal, while product, engineering, and science—the functions most likely to shape a company’s future—were still heavily male-dominated (RRA, 2025). The article also notes that only 27% of leaders agree their organizations have given the right guidance to harness generative AI ethically and safely, and only 24% say they have the right processes to protect against AI misuse (RRA, 2025).

Beneath the Headlines About Tech Is Something Bigger: A Struggle Over Power

If you’re an FGP, you already know what it’s like to be told you’re welcome to participate, but not always invited to shape the rules. AI is creating a new version of that old pattern. Many companies are adopting the tools faster than they’re building the governance, bias checks, and leadership diversity needed to use them responsibly. That’s a problem for everyone—but especially for women, who are more likely to raise concerns about misinformation, bias, and unintended harm (RRA, 2025).

Beyond diagnosing the problem, the article lays out a roadmap for what comes next.

It recommends starting succession planning early, using objective criteria, and leveraging AI itself to support more equitable talent identification and promotion processes (RRA, 2025). It also encourages external development programs and communities of like-minded leaders, which aligns closely with Executive Insider’s belief that women grow faster when they’re not isolated from other people who can expand their perspective and access.

Why This Matters for FGPs (First-Gen Female Professionals)

That’s where the call to action gets personal. FGPs don’t need to wait until they’re “ready” to think like leaders in AI. We can start now by learning how AI decisions are made, asking who’s accountable for bias and safety, and paying attention to the roles that shape strategy—not just the roles that support it. If you already work in HR, operations, policy, communications, or program leadership, this is your cue to move closer to the table where AI choices get made. If you’re earlier in your career, this is your cue to learn the language now so you can enter those rooms with confidence later.

For women with more experience, especially those navigating an invisible ceiling, this article offers a different kind of reminder: your judgment is not secondary to technical expertise. In fact, AI needs more of your judgment, not less. The field needs leaders who’ll ask hard questions about bias, safeguard people, and build systems that don’t mistake scale for fairness.

That’s the Executive Insider lens: Occupying a seat at the table is the starting point. Shaping what it accomplishes is leadership.

Your Next Step

Identify one AI-related decision in your workplace, industry, or field and ask who gets to influence it. Then ask how women like us can get closer to that decision-making circle.

Sources

Russell Reynolds Associates. (2025, February 11). AI for all: The case for more women leaders in AI. https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/articles/the-case-for-more-women-leaders-in-ai