Empowering the Future: How Generative AI is Reshaping the Landscape for Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Women who start businesses in a new country often face dual challenges: they must build and grow their ventures while also navigating the personal, social, and institutional complexities of settling into their new environment. Generative AI can support both their entrepreneurial efforts and integration processes by creating a synergy between them. Emerging international research has begun to document these benefits, with several recent academic studies emphasizing the positive impact of digital technologies, including generative AI, on supporting women entrepreneurs. Our project, Empowering Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs through Generative AI in Northern Ostrobothnia, sits inside this global conversation. Here’s the evidence we found from recent academic publications across different contexts, which focus on women entrepreneurship and the adoption of digital technologies like Generative AI.

The barriers are strikingly similar everywhere

Although the contexts vary, the structure of the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs remains consistent. Alateeg and Al-Ayed (2024) examined the situation in Saudi Arabia, while Salamzadeh et al. (2026) focused on Iran, and Portuguez-Castro and Ramirez-Lozano (2026) explored Peru. All these academic articles highlight the structural obstacles that women entrepreneurs encounter and emphasize how digital technologies, such as Generative AI, can serve as catalysts for digital transformation. Despite the different countries involved, the underlying issue is often not a lack of ambition but rather a lack of access, confidence, and support systems.

AI literacy can change the rules of the game

In China, research on entrepreneurs discovered that AI literacy enhances entrepreneurial resilience by specifically reducing anxiety related to AI. Social support—particularly emotional support, characterized by having someone who believes in you—further alleviates this anxiety (Liu et al., 2025). The takeaway is clear: merely providing someone with a tool is not enough. It is essential to teach them how to use it confidently.

This is not just theoretical. In a study focused on the Western Balkans, it was found that adopting AI had a statistically significant positive impact on innovation, business success, and the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs. Women who participated in hands-on AI training using tools like ChatGPT and Canva for marketing reported a noticeable increase in their sales (Gashi & Haliti Baruti, 2026). Another study conducted in India also highlighted that integrating AI significantly enhances entrepreneurial performance by improving both entrepreneurial and customer agility. It demonstrated that proficiency in AI further amplifies these benefits for women entrepreneurs (Imtyaz & Yameen, 2026).

What this means for Northern Ostrobothnia

Across different countries, a common pattern emerges: women entrepreneurs are motivated and increasingly willing to adopt Generative AI. However, factors like literacy, trust, and institutional support play crucial roles in determining whether this adoption leads to tangible results. For immigrant women entrepreneurs in Northern Ostrobothnia, who face additional challenges such as language, cultural, and networking barriers on top of the usual obstacles in starting a business, this evidence highlights a clear priority: hands-on AI literacy training combined with genuine social and institutional support. Our project aims to address this need. Evidence from various contexts suggests that when we empower immigrant women with the skills to collaborate with Generative AI, we not only foster better businesses but also build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

Authors

Shahed Mahmud, Project Coordinator, Doctoral Researcher
José-Carlos García-Rosell, Professor, Business Ethics
Department of Marketing, Management and International Business
Oulu Business School, University of Oulu.

Link to ÄLYVOIMA project: https://www.oulu.fi/en/projects/alyvoima-smart-power

Photo credit: University of Oulu Brand Picture, Harri Tarvainen, University of Oulu.

Authors’ note: For developing the content, assistance has been taken from Generative AI platforms.

List of References:

Alateeg, S., & Al-Ayed, S. (2024). Exploring the role of artificial intelligence technology in empowering women-led startups. Knowledge and Performance Management, 8(2), 28–38. https://doi.org/10.21511/kpm.08(2).2024.03

Gashi, R., & Haliti Baruti, B. (2026). AI-Driven Digital Transformation and Women Entrepreneurship: Evidence from the Western Balkans. HighTech and Innovation Journal, 7(2), 627–644. https://doi.org/10.28991/HIJ-2026-07-02-017

Imtyaz, F., & Yameen, M. (2026). Why AI proficiency matters: Reframing AI assimilation, agility, and performance in women-led ventures. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 6(1), 310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01026-4

Liu, Y., Hu, H., & Kong, W. (2025). The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ AI Literacy on Entrepreneurial Resilience: The Role of AI Anxiety and Social Support. Behavioral Sciences, 15(12), 1741. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121741

Portuguez-Castro, M., & Ramirez-Lozano, J. P. (2026). Enabling women entrepreneurs through digital transformation: A business process technology perspective from emerging economies. Business Process Management Journal, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-10-2025-1751

Salamzadeh, A., Salamzadeh, Y., & Hadizadeh, M. (2026). Digital empowerment of women entrepreneurs in emerging markets: Bridging the gender gap for environmental sustainability. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 34(4), 1468–1494. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-01-2025-5120