AI & Gender Discrimination

Gender 305 Gender and International Human Rights

Technology is more prevalent today than it has ever been (Heo et al., 2021). With the

current COVID-19 pandemic, technology itself has progressed at such an extensive rate around

schools, work, and almost all methods of communications transitioning to be online (Heo et al.,

2021). Because of this technological reformation into our everyday lives, it is easy to assume

that everyone has had experience with, and (at least) some limited knowledge of, computers.

Using this assumption, we first connect our larger idea of Artificial Intelligence to the more

simplistic everyday use of technology, such as one’s smartphone or computer. We also offer a

short definition of machine learning while, additionally, expressing the various means through

which complex algorithms can be adapted to process and analyze human data beyond that

which we may have seen on our smartphones.

Due to the pandemic restrictions, University students have become increasingly familiar with chat rooms, take for example, one of the most

popular apps, Discord. Along with many other social media platforms, Discord has become

highly valued by university students as a way to connect with other students in the same

university, faculty, and classes, even when not physically together. However, when discussing

technology, it is easy to go down a dark path with a seemingly unlimited amount of

misinformation. Therefore, we emphasize that it is highly advised to take the information that

we are providing and complement such sources with your own research. Overall, it is vital to

check where you source information from, especially, concerning technology. Moreover, pay

close attention to those sponsoring the research, the background of the institution conducting

the research and, lastly, approach such resources with an objective mind.

Content Warning: This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. We

touch on various examples of violence against women in the context of artificial intelligence.

Please take care of yourself.

References

Facebook and the engagement based model

● New York Times, Rabbit Hole, podcast about the mental health dangers of the

engagement based model, and online radicalization:

https://www.nytimes.com/column/rabbit-hole

● Center for Humane Technology: https://www.humanetech.com/

● Your Undivided Attention podcast: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast

● Facebook’s engagement method - Predicting Consumers Engagement on Facebook

Based on What and How Companies Write. Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems,

39(2), 2365–2377. https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-179897

● COVID’s impact in technology – Enhancing learning engagement during COVID‐19

pandemic: Self‐efficacy in time management, technology use, and online learning

environments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(6), 1640–1652.

https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12603

Myanmar conflict

● Facebook’s actions on Myanmar:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/myanmar-facebooks-systems-

promoted-violence-against-rohingya-meta-owes-reparations-new-report/

Oppressive ai framework

● Notmy.ai Oppressive Ai Framework:

https://notmy.ai/news/oppressive-a-i-feminist-categories-to-understand-its-politic

al-effects/

● Notmy.ai Latin America mapping project: https://notmy.ai/mapping-of-projects/

● Racist chatbots:

https://mashable.com/article/meta-facebook-ai-chatbot-racism-donald-trump

● The Good Robot podcast Cambridge site:

https://www.gender.cam.ac.uk/technology-gender-and-intersectionality-research-

project/the-good-robot-podcast

● The Good Robot, Catherine Dignazio on Data Feminism:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/catherine-dignazio-on-data-feminism/id1

570237963?i=1000524618296

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0l4la6AFwZFISvXJVDUNwZ?si=lPEBWeOLTVGUh

3Fis-MceQ

● Radical AI, Feminist AI 101 with Elenor Drage and Kerry Mackereth (hosts of The

Good Robot Podcast):

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/feminist-ai-101-with-eleanor-drage-and-k

erry-mackereth/id1505229145?i=1000523884460

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VBJ2xKzvRFEDli3QHIaK5?si=gCnKPJAyTZWaLxq

Tb_PXiQ

● Radical AI episode Resistance Against the Tech to Prison Pipeline with the Coalition

for Critical Technology:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sRw1LiT77i5iKWjK2I79k?si=Y_EcwSalQZOlugJr

prhEXw

● How algorithmic policing is used in Canada today:

https://citizenlab.ca/2020/09/algorithmic-policing-in-canada-explained/

● MIT Tech Review podcast, In Machines We Trust, Who Watches AI Watching

Students:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/06/29/1057103/podcast-who-watches-

ai-watching-students/

Feminist app Mumkin

● Mumkin website, links to other media: https://www.mumkinapp.com/media

● The Good Robot, Feminist App Design with Priya Goswami:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/priya-goswami-on-feminist-app-design/id

1570237963?i=1000523813215

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KOs7udAs85Myj6HooLTbd?si=z1YSGzl3Qc6Xiu

M7Um182A

International legal solutions

● United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

● The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

and Girls (1979)

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/cedaw

.pdf

● The United ...