TECHNOLOGY
GENDER AND WORK IN THE AGE OF AI
The estimated impact of AI has been widely reported but how could robots change the way people interact and perform at work? Lead author, Rohit Talwar of Fast Future, a professional foresight firm specialising in executive education, research and consulting considers the technology’s influence on gender and future job roles.
O
ne of the subtle strategies designers use to make it easier for us to integrate AI into our lives
is anthropomorphism – the attribution of human-like traits to non-human objects. However, the rise of AI with distinct personalities, voices, and physical forms is not as benign as it might seem. So, what are the impacts of this
technology on society and what role will human-like technologies play in achieving human-centred futures? For example, do anthropomorphised machines enable a future wherein humanity can thrive? Or, do human- like AIs foreshadow a darker prognosis, particularly in relation to gender roles and work? In this article, we take a look at a
continuum of human-like personas that give a face to AI technology. What does it mean for our collective future that technology is increasingly human-like and gendered? And, what does it tell us about our capacity to create a very human future?
The men of AI Probably the most well-known AI is the
male persona Watson, the IBM machine that’s matched its immense wits against human opponents at chess and the gameshow Jeopardy. Watson has also been used in cancer diagnosis and has a regular role in many industries, including transportation, financial services and education. When it
comes to masculine AI, it seems both brain and brawn are required. In many cases, male robots do the heavy lifting.
Here are some typical examples of the jobs that male-personified AIs do.
• Botler: A chatbot called Botler seems enlightened. He provides legal information and services for immigrants and victims of sexual harassment. Botler wears a smile and tuxedo with bowtie, appearing to be a helpful butler-like gentleman.
•
Stan: Stanley Robotics’ robotic valet Stan parks your car. An autonomous forklift, Stan is able to strategically fill parking garages to capacity. But could Stan reinforce gender-based stereotypes about cars and driving?
• FRAnky: At Frankfurt Airport you can meet FRAnky, a Facebook Messenger-based chatbot that can search for
flights and give
information about restaurants, shops and airport wifi service.
• Leo: Another travel pro, SITA’s Leo is a luggage-drop robot who prints a bag tag, checks your suitcase, then prints a baggage receipt. The kerbside helper is strong and smart.
• Ross: The world’s first robo-lawyer. The
phenomenal computational
power Ross uses for legal research saves attorneys time, effort and mistakes. The proliferation of data is the main rationale for the rise of the robo-lawyer. Human attorneys are expensive and time-consuming when it comes to the drudge work of digging up information; proponents of Ross say the AI saves 20-30 hours research time per case.
12 | Relocate | Autumn 2018
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