Building a Gender-Equitable Future for AI

 

Artificial intelligence is reshaping society at an unprecedented pace, but it is far from equitable. From biased hiring algorithms to facial recognition failures, from online harassment to explicit deepfakes, emergent technologies are enabling harm toward women, girls, and folks of other marginalized gender identities. Girls for Algorithmic Justice (GFAJ) is committed to building an AI future that supports and uplifts women, girls, and others of marginalized gender identities. Our policy platform lays out a framework for addressing the most pressing AI threats to gender equity through legislative advocacy, corporate accountability, technological innovation, and public education.

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I. Combating AI-Driven Gender-Based Violence

 

AI is increasingly being weaponized to create non-consensual explicit deepfakes, facilitate cyberstalking, and amplify digital harassment. Yet, most legal frameworks fail to provide clear protections for victims and allow perpetrators to operate with impunity. GFAJ supports a multi-pronged approach to combat AI-driven gender-based violence, including:

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• Legislation to criminalize non-consensual AI-generated sexual content and establish civil recourse for victims.

• Platform accountability requirements for social media companies to implement robust deepfake detection, takedown mechanisms, and reporting pathways.

• Development of AI detection and watermarking tools to identify and track manipulated media.

• Tech-sector collaboration to ensure AI-generated content complies with ethical guidelines and minimizes harm.

• AI ethics training for law enforcement to improve response times and enforcement of digital harassment laws.​​

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II. Ensuring Algorithmic Fairness & Transparency

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AI-driven decision-making is being integrated into hiring, healthcare, criminal justice, credit scoring, and beyond—yet many of these systems operate as opaque “black boxes" that reinforce existing biases. Women, especially women of color, are disproportionately affected by biased algorithms that determine their employment prospects, loan approvals, and even medical diagnoses. GFAJ advocates for:

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• AI bias audits for companies using machine learning models in high-impact sectors such as hiring, finance, and law enforcement.

• Public transparency guidelines for AI developers to disclose training data sources and promote explainability in AI models.

• Limits on applications of AI with high risk for discrimination, such as predictive policing tools known to exacerbate racial and gender disparities.

• Independent third-party evaluations of AI systems to detect and mitigate algorithmic discrimination.​​

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III. Regulating AI in Social Media & Digital Platforms

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Social media and online platforms are among the largest distributors of AI-generated misinformation, exploitative deepfake content, and algorithmically amplified harassment. Yet, platform moderation policies remain inconsistent and ineffective. To ensure a safer digital environment, GFAJ supports:

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• AI accountability regulations requiring content moderation policies that explicitly address AI-generated sexual exploitation and misinformation.

• Implementation of content authenticity measures to distinguish real and AI-generated media.

• Algorithmic transparency laws requiring platforms to disclose how recommendation algorithms impact content visibility and user safety.

• Stronger penalties for platforms that fail to act against AI-driven abuse, including the proliferation of explicit deepfakes.

• Ethical AI guidelines for content recommendation engines, ensuring that AI-driven curation does not reinforce harmful biases.​​

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IV. Protecting Privacy & Digital Rights in the Age of AI

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The rapid expansion of AI-powered surveillance, facial recognition, and biometric data collection poses significant threats to individual privacy—threats that disproportionately impact women, activists, and marginalized groups. AI-driven facial recognition, for example, has been shown to misidentify women and people of color at alarmingly high rates, leading to wrongful arrests and systemic discrimination. GFAJ is committed to:

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• Limiting or strictly regulating the use of facial recognition in law enforcement and public surveillance.

• Expanding digital privacy laws to prevent AI-driven exploitation of biometric and personal data.

• Giving individuals control over their AI-generated likenesses and requiring consent for AI-generated images, videos, and voice manipulations.

• Ensuring AI-generated synthetic media cannot be used to impersonate individuals without consent.

• Stronger data protection regulations for AI applications, requiring developers to minimize the collection of personally identifiable information.​​

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Advancing Our Strategy for Change

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GFAJ is not just advocating for policy change—we are actively driving the movement for ethical AI through a combination of:

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• Legislative Advocacy: Partnering with policymakers, legal experts, and advocacy groups to push for AI protections.

• Corporate Accountability Campaigns: Holding tech companies responsible for AI systems that perpetuate harm.

• Educational & Public Awareness Initiatives: Hosting workshops, working with educators, and equipping youth with AI policy knowledge.

• Grassroots Mobilization: Empowering young activists to take action at the local, state, and federal levels.

 

By embedding gender equity into the core of AI governance, we can ensure that technology serves justice, fairness, and human dignity. The future of AI is still being written—let’s make sure it includes all of us.