# Harvard survey finds men overstate AI knowledge, claim fake executives exist

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-14T09:30:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/harvard-survey-finds-men-overstate-ai-knowledge-claim-fake-executives

## Summary

A Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center survey of more than 5,400 Americans shows a gender gap in AI confidence. Forty percent of women also said they knew the fake names, while 38 percent recognized Murati. Men use AI more often and answer factual questions correctly more frequently, but both genders answer incorrectly at similar rates. Women said "not sure" on an average of 3.3 out of 12 questions versus 2.3 for men. Media analysis found men appear in AI headlines over 14 times more often than women, and three-quarters of quoted AI experts were men despite women making up roughly 29 percent of the AI talent pool. Both genders rated "concern" as their top emotional response to AI, but women reported higher levels of concern, fear, and worry, while men rated curiosity, enthusiasm, and excitement higher.

## Key points

- 53% of men claimed to know fictional AI executives Milner and Dalton
- Men said "not sure" on 2.3 of 12 questions vs 3.3 for women
- Men appear in AI headlines 14x more often than women

## Why it matters

The confidence gap shapes media narratives and expert representation, potentially crowding out cautious perspectives needed for responsible AI development.

## Sources

1. [Men Can’t Stop Faking How Much They Know About AI](https://wired.com/story/men-cant-stop-faking-how-much-they-know-about-ai) (Wired AI, 2026-10-14)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Harvard survey finds men overstate AI knowledge, claim fake executives exist", 14 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/harvard-survey-finds-men-overstate-ai-knowledge-claim-fake-executives

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