Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding a place within libraries in the form of virtual assistants. Though digital, virtual assistants nevertheless embody gender, evident when their creators assign them gendered names, pronouns, voices, and speech patterns. More often than not, they are programmed to be “female” by default. This presentation will discuss how indiscriminate creation and adoption of feminized AI can perpetuate harmful stereotypes of women as submissive “helpers,” rather than actors in their own right. At the same time, librarianship—a field profoundly concerned with technology ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion—is flush with opportunities for critical engagement with AI technologies.
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