Cherie Blair says women ‘not foolish’ to distrust AI but it can be better used

Women are “not foolish” to distrust artificial intelligence (AI) in light of harms such as Grok’s sexualised images but entrepreneurs should be using the technology for more than just “quick wins”, Cherie Blair has said.

The barrister and wife of former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said many businesswomen around the world were experimenting with AI but not using it to the full potential.

AI use among women entrepreneurs in low and middle-income countries has more than doubled in a year, rising from 38% in 2024 to 82% in 2025, according to research conducted by the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Some 69% of women reported saving time as a key benefit of AI use and around two thirds of frequent users said it was for marketing activities.

In contrast, a smaller proportion reported using AI for business operations, at a third, and 35% apply the tech to bookkeeping and finance.

The foundation surveyed 3,000 female business owners in low and middle-income countries, of which there are more than 100 identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Lady Blair said the “real story isn’t just about adoption, it’s about depth”.

“Many women are using AI for quick wins on marketing and communication” but may lack “the time, the confidence and the support to move from experimenting with AI to truly integrating it into their business”, she said.

The human rights lawyer and campaigner for women’s equality acknowledged that many women will be put off by issues such as generative AI being used to create non-consensual sexualised images.

“Women are not foolish in not trusting AI because their life experiences have told them that it can often be used in ways that are harmful to them,” Lady Blair told the Press Association.

Referring to Grok, the AI chatbot embedded in social media platform X, she asked: “What possessed them them to think that having these programmes that allowed you to undress pictures… did anyone pause to think about how that would feel for the person being treated that way?

“We have an industry that is mainly men… the internet is dominated by men, and a lot of it is dominated by pornography.”

Meanwhile, the survey conducted by the foundation found that almost all the women surveyed said they had care-giving responsibilities, which incorporates childcare, elderly care, emotional support and household management.

Many of those using AI to save time were therefore “probably just using the time saved to do a bit more housework or maybe just catch up on some sleep”, Lady Blair said.

“What you find is that those who are already fortunate enough to have that time or those resources… they’re going to move forward more quickly than the ones that don’t.”