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This week, it was announced that women occupy a small but growing slice of Forbes’ World Billionaires list, equating to 369 out of 2,781 billionaires, up from 337 in 2023. Although nowhere near the parameters of equity, women in 2024 are richer than ever before, with a combined billionaire demographic of 13% and equating to nearly $1.8 trillion.

This small but significant increase coincides with a unique time in economic history. On paper, things have never looked better for female entrepreneurs, who start and run businesses at a stunning rate. Studies show that over the past 20 years, the number of women-owned firms has increased 114% in the USA, and every day, women start an average of 849 new businesses. Figures also show that for the first time, single women own more homes than men, and women now outnumber men in the U.S. college-educated labor force.

From the outset, it seems that, albeit slow, the tide of economics is starting to see a positive shift for female advancement, yet one critical missing link remains: access to capital. The challenge is twofold: not only do female-founded businesses receive a dismal 2% of annual venture capital dollars, but women also have significantly less passive income and are less active in the stock market.

Simply put women remain largely hamstrung in the path to self wealth creation. In fact data shows that both gender and class divisions are more severely unequal in the ownership of financial assets than income distribution. The top 1% of wealthy Americans control about 38% of the stock market, and the top 10% have 84% of all Wall Street portfolios’ value, per the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.

Recent research by BNY Mellon reveals a stark reality in the systemic and emotive thinking behind female investment behaviors. Only one in 10 women globally feel they fully understand investing, and a mere 28% feel confident about investing their money, with a staggering 45% of women view it as too risky. This leads to a significant investment gap and a resultant perpetual cycle of gender inequality. In simple math, fewer women participating in the financial market means less total wealth over time, which in turn leads to fewer choices and less control.

Yet, ironically, there is ample evidence to show that when women do invest, they are better at it than men, often considered more level-headed and effectively calculated in their choices. Yet, to move the dial on the investment gap, there needs to be a scalable shift in encouraging women to invest in the first place. This is where the potential of artificial intelligence (A.I.) comes in. AI creates a new interface of data and education that can make investing more accessible to women. If harnesses correctly, it can give way to a new form of financial literacy and inclusion, disrupting the exclusivity of traditional financial circles and allow women to create a new space for themselves.

A new Investment Interface:

One of the most significant reported deterrents for women with the means to invest relates to female investing experiences. Nearly half (44%) of women report that they face inequalities in investing, according to 2023 research by New York Life, and that number has increased since 2019. Women surveyed report feeling treated differently, patronized, and broadly discouraged by financial advisors in a male-dominated field. Yet AI has the ability to change this experience by simplifying investment processes and depersonalizing the experience around gender or precedent.

Traditional investing often involves complex jargon and convoluted processes that can be intimidating, especially for novice investors who refer to advisory services to navigate. By offering intuitive interfaces, educational resources, and step-by-step guidance, AI can break down barriers to entry, enabling women to navigate investment platforms with ease, and foster a sense of empowerment and autonomy over their financial choices.

Education vs. Ego:

Arguably, the gender investment gap maps back to the age-old challenge impacting female social capital across the board: the confidence gap. Yet, in the investment space, the analysis portrays some ironic findings. In short, women, although less confident and less frequent investors are more successful when they do so. There is a blatant missed opportunity here for women; with ego or lack thereof playing a large factor. However further analysis points to the importance of education.

Arty Rusetski, head of artificial intelligence at Capital.com, explains this as a sensibility women bring to the space, “our research shows that female investors do a lot of analysis and record keeping. They have a slight advantage here because their ego does not get in the way of them as much as it does for men. This has been demonstrated by the fact that women are generally more diligent and respect their stop losses more often.”

Ironically, for female investors, the exercise of heightened diligence is an equal-level advantage and disadvantage, as it creates better outcomes but also heightened caution and reduces the scale of opportunity. However, AI can change by democratizing data and education with algorithms accessing vast amounts of data to provide personalized investment recommendations based on individual goals, risk tolerance, and financial situations.

This level of customized guidance can appeal to women who value transparency and want investment strategies that align with their needs and preferences. Through increased education, women can feel more confident in their investment decisions and overcome the fear of financial loss.

Flexibility and Convenience

At the core of the investment gap, is the same challenge that creates many gaps for women across business and society, the precious commodity of time. The cost of unpaid labor and the burden of household and caregiving responsibilities Is estimated at 10 Trillion dollars a year.

Again it boils down to simple math. Women who have less time to invest in ways to grow their own wealth, equals women subjected to a perpetual cycle of inequality. However, the usability and broad accessibility of AI platforms offer new flexibility and convenience to female investors.

There is a fluidity to when, where, and how women invest that hasn’t existed in the past. Accessing investment tools and monitoring their portfolios on the go can be a significant advantage. This flexibility can encourage more women to actively engage in investing, as it fits into their busy lifestyles and empowers them to take control of their financial futures.

Whilst the debate rages on about the longer-term implications of artificial intelligence on collective society, there are some immediate opportunities to embed the mass utilization of this technology as a catalyst for new access, education, and growth to otherwise marginalized groups.

By creating a new interface of finance accessibility and allowing women the opportunity to demystify the investment process itself, AI can enable a new wave of women to invest in their own future and bridge the investment gap.