Gender, Labour and Machines: Feminist Theory and AI

Feminist theory encompasses a rich and diverse set of intellectual traditions united by a commitment to understanding and challenging gender-based oppression. Applied to AI, feminist theory reveals dimensions of the problem that technical and policy frameworks consistently miss: the gendered character of AI design, the invisibility of feminised labour in AI production, the reproduction of patriarchal assumptions in AI systems, and the differential impacts of AI on women and gender minorities. This course asks not only whether AI treats women fairly, but whether the very categories AI uses to sort, classify, and evaluate people are themselves gendered.