Men Can’t Stop Faking How Much They Know About AI
A Harvard study reveals that men are significantly more likely to feign knowledge about AI and its executives compared to women. The research highlights a persistent confidence gap and a gender disparity in media representation of AI experts.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that gendered overconfidence and media bias may influence public perception and professional opportunities within the rapidly evolving AI sector.
In a new survey of more than 5,400 Americans, 73 percent of male respondents told Harvard researchers they knew who Altman was. A little over half—53 percent—said they knew of Murati, Milner, and Dalton.
There’s one problem. Murati is a real person: she’s the former CTO of OpenAI and the current CEO of Thinking Machine Labs. Milner and Dalton, on the other hand, do not exist.
Compared to women, “we're seeing that men are more optimistic and more confident” across the board when it comes to AI, Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center executive director Laura Manley tells WIRED. Sometimes, that veers into overconfidence—like claiming to recognize fictional AI executives. (For context, 40 percent of women claimed to know who Milner and Dalton were; 38 percent said they recognized Murati.)
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