Ethics Society Culture
Study: Sci-fi and speculative fiction feminize AI and maintain power structures
A new study published in the AI & SOCIETY journal claims that speculative fiction and science fiction often replicate old gendered assumptions when depicting artificial intelligence, even though the genre is known for its reformist spirit. According to the article, popular narratives easily create an 'illusion of inclusivity': AI appears inclusive and progressive, but familiar, hierarchical roles operate in the background.
Author Ajeesh A K examines how fears and hopes related to technological upheavals have long lived in the imagery of fiction – even before AI rose to its current status as one of the most recurring technology tropes. In this framework, AI is often presented as 'default' feminine according to the study: it is service-oriented, emotion-driven, and nurturing.
The article interprets this feminization as part of a cultural setting where AI easily becomes a tool of patriarchal fantasy rather than a true place for diversity. When machine intelligence is intertwined in narratives with submission, emotionality, and caregiving, long-standing gendered power relations are simultaneously reinforced.
The study brings a cultural perspective to the AI discussion: it reminds us that the meaning of 'artificial intelligence' is not only created in laboratories and products but also in stories that shape perceptions of what AI is and to whom it belongs.
Source: The ghost in the gendered machine: AI, speculative fiction, and the illusion of inclusivity, AI & SOCIETY.
Author Ajeesh A K examines how fears and hopes related to technological upheavals have long lived in the imagery of fiction – even before AI rose to its current status as one of the most recurring technology tropes. In this framework, AI is often presented as 'default' feminine according to the study: it is service-oriented, emotion-driven, and nurturing.
The article interprets this feminization as part of a cultural setting where AI easily becomes a tool of patriarchal fantasy rather than a true place for diversity. When machine intelligence is intertwined in narratives with submission, emotionality, and caregiving, long-standing gendered power relations are simultaneously reinforced.
The study brings a cultural perspective to the AI discussion: it reminds us that the meaning of 'artificial intelligence' is not only created in laboratories and products but also in stories that shape perceptions of what AI is and to whom it belongs.
Source: The ghost in the gendered machine: AI, speculative fiction, and the illusion of inclusivity, AI & SOCIETY.
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Original research: The ghost in the gendered machine: AI, speculative fiction, and the illusion of inclusivity
Publisher: AI & SOCIETY
Authors: Ajeesh A K
January 14, 2026
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