University of Limerick study: female AI Johanna paid 10.25% less

Technology Oct 11, 2026

Turns out, even AI assistants aren't immune to the gender pay gap.

A new study from the University of Limerick had people interact with two equally skilled virtual office AIs, one male (Johan) and one female (Johanna).

Despite doing the same work, Johanna received 10.25% less for completing the same work.

Researchers warn AI design reinforces bias

Researchers also found that human-like AI agents were trusted (and paid) more than basic chatbots or robots.

While many participants said gender didn't affect their choices, the results told a different story.

As co-author Mary Hausfeld put it, how we design and present AI can unintentionally reinforce real-world biases, so it's important to think carefully as digital coworkers become more common.