Girls more concerned about AI bias than boys

The areas of artificial intelligence (AI) young people are interested in varies between genders, according to research by InnovateHer.

The social enterprise asked more than a thousand students between the ages of 12 and 17 their opinions on AI, and found more boys than girls interested in the subject – 69% and 54% respectively – but also differing areas of focus, with girls worried about AI bias and boys concerned about cyber security.

“While it’s encouraging to see such interest [in AI] from both sides, these differences risk reinforcing long-standing stereotypes,” said Chelsea Slater, co-founder and CEO of InnovateHer. “We believe these patterns stem from the messages young people receive from an early age about careers, tech and who belongs in those spaces.

“At InnovateHer, we’re working to challenge those narratives and ensure all young people can see themselves in the future of AI.”

The areas of AI students were interested in depended on their gender – girls are predominantly concerned with ethics, policy and data analysis, while boys’ main area of focus was on on machine learning, robotics and AI development.

This divide between male and female participants in the technology sector is not a new thing, and men are more likely than women to pursue technology careers for a variety of reasons – in fact, women and young girls feel they are sometimes actively discouraged from joining the sector, and misconceptions about the skill sets needed for a tech role leave women feeling the sector isn’t for them.

There are also concerns in the tech sector about automation replacing a large number of women’s jobs, and while many argue it will create as many as it replaces, only 29% of girls believed AI would create more jobs in the future, compared with 53% of boys.

Almost 70% of girls actually think AI will make it harder for women to pursue technology careers, partly because of the bias it may create in the hiring process, especially because of the lack of role models already in the tech sector.

A lack of role models is often cited as a reason why girls avoid the tech sector, but it also means that the fewer women involved in the technology sector, the fewer women will be part of the decision-making processes surrounding AI, and the more likely it is these technologies will be built with biases.

A large number of girls – some 79% – think there should be more stringent regulations surrounding AI, specifically to prevent worsening AI bias, with 71% expressing concerns about AI reinforcing the gender bias that already exists in many elements of decision-making in the tech workplace.

Boys, on the other hand, are less concerned about bias and more concerned about regulating AI to bolster cyber security and address privacy risks.

But there are other concerns among girls when it comes to AI. Almost 70% of female students linked the use of AI recommendation algorithms used in social media to poor mental health, naming negative perceptions of body image and online bulling as some of the negative impacts social media algorithms can have.

While 29% of boys noted that AI can play a part in toxicity online, fewer of them linked this to a decline in mental wellness.