Devs Who Use AI Are Rated 9% Less Competent
Devs who use AI are rated 9% less competent — and for women and older engineers, it’s up to 26%.
And the bias mostly comes from men that don’t use AI. WTF.
Here’s what happens next if we ignore it:
❌ Folks from under-represented groups avoid using AI.
❌ Productivity gap grows (59% less, DX/LeadDev report).
❌ Higher risk of being exited.
❌ Diversity divide widens.
Here’s what you can do about it right now:
✅ Track adoption rates across demographics, if you can. If uptake is uneven, get curious.
✅ Champion AI skill-building for everyone, ensuring underrepresented voices have equal access.
✅ Be a role model — share when and how you use AI to reduce stigma.
✅ Remove “AI assisted” labels on PRs/deliverables — they harm perceptions of the contributor.
What’s one thing you’re going to do next week to prevent the ‘competency penalty’ in your team?
Come talk to me about it on LinkedIn
