Artificial intelligence and gender inequality are closely linked, according to a study from Nature that reveals a bias in Google searches. AI tends to associate men with jobs like surgeon or mathematician, while women are linked to roles such as hairdressers or nurses. This phenomenon has been addressed by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who presented a report in March about the gender stereotypes present in artificial intelligence.
The report highlights that women are often associated with concepts like home, family, or children, while men are linked to terms like business, salary, and career. María Cano Bonilla, an expert in ethics and AI, notes that AI reinforces social patterns by reproducing pre-established gender roles in society. Cano Bonilla claims that AI is misogynistic by perpetuating these role associations.
In this context, controversy has arisen over the creation of the "Miss AI" contest, where beauty and the number of followers of virtual models created by artificial intelligence are evaluated. Experts warn that the use of AI can lead to objectification and sexism towards women, as it is predominantly conceived to satisfy male needs.
The UNESCO Director-General calls on governments to establish clear regulatory frameworks to address the systemic biases present in AI. On the other hand, the use of female voices in virtual assistants like Apple and Amazon is questioned, highlighting the need to reflect on such decisions that reinforce gender stereotypes in technology.
