A quarter of UK jobs in artificial intelligence and other specialist technology roles were filled by women this year, the lowest proportion in two decades, according to research from Datatech Analytics for professional network Women in Data.

The research showed that the percentage of women taking on positions related to data science, out of the overall number of people entering the industry, fell from 41% of the total in 2005, to 34% in 2009 and then to 27% this year.

According to the research, the drop in the proportion of women working in these roles is due to a surge in men choosing career fields such as AI over the past 19 years, a 400% increase, compared to a 68% uptick for women during the same period.

Payal Jain, who chairs the Women in Data campaign, said this could appear "fairly bleak reading for us", but said, because of that, "women are some of the most sought after talent in the UK right now" and that “there is no better time to be a woman in data."

Kelly Metcalf, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Fujitsu UK & Ireland, also commented, “Diverse teams allow organisations to provide environments where different styles of thinking come together, allowing for more innovation and productivity, so it’s a concern to see such a small proportion of artificial intelligence roles being filled by women. With no signs of digital transformation slowing down, it is becoming increasingly important that all businesses – not just technology organisations – do more to tackle this gap and attract a diverse range of talent.”

“Ultimately, there are many steps organisations can implement to encourage a diverse and inclusive work environment to ensure that the UK sustains its technology top spot,” Metcalf said. “And for women in the UK, if organisations are to deliver genuine change they must commit to a big vision that diversity and inclusion produces much better results.”