Do women have an AI problem?

While big tech has been strategically investing to promote a positive narrative around AI, many rapidly expanding global networks of people and communities are resisting AI tools, writes Jennie C Stephens

Jobs held by women and those who are more economically precarious are disproportionately in clerical roles being displaced by AI. File picture

At the recent launch of the new AI policy at Ireland’s largest university, the Microsoft man representing the UCD-industry partnership told those in attendance that women in Ireland are not adopting AI tools as fast as men.

He then said if he had a magic wand to grant one wish, he would get the Government to supercharge Ireland’s AIready training program so that more women would get on board and start using AI.

Rather than uncritically accepting the Microsoft executive’s suggestion that big tech companies want to collaborate with government and universities to help women, what if the problem is not the women but big tech and their AI platforms?

As an environmental scientist and climate policy researcher who is acutely aware of how big tech companies and their data centres are devastating ecological health, accelerating climate chaos, and eroding democracy, I am a conscientious objector of AI. I try not to use AI in either my professional or personal life. 

I am part of multiple rapidly expanding global networks of people and communities who are resisting AI and objecting to the power of the big tech companies. Within these resistance networks, women are leading the way.

Unfortunately, here in Ireland criticising big tech right now is similar to criticising the Catholic Church 50 years ago. Despite widespread concern about societal harms of these powerful, controlling, patriarchal organisations — including harm to women and children — the dominant big tech narratives emphasising the positives are being imposed on us.

Many in Ireland may not have noticed how the US government has been controlling AI algorithms to intentionally promote toxic masculinity, normalise misogyny within public discourse, and manipulate narratives away from gender equity, inclusion and diversity. 

In July 2025, the president of the US signed an executive order to prevent Woke AI. The order declares that the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are an existential threat to so-called “reliable AI” so they must be removed from all AI tools used by the US government. 

AI bias

Because the same AI tools are used all over the world, the AI chatbots used here in Ireland are also selectively feeding people information that excludes reference to women’s rights, racial justice, LGBTQAI+ rights, social inclusion, etc.

The danger of this hidden bias within AI tools is increasingly understood by many. Research shows that women and other marginalised people are sceptical because they are more likely to see AI as a dangerous tool of control and domination. 

Those who are already vulnerable are more likely to recognise the societal risks of AI algorithms determining what information people are exposed to. 

For example, for women and LGBTQIA+ people who already live with greater exposure to sexual abuse and sexual harassment, Grok’s video generation tool creating a new mechanism for digital sexual abuse is a scary new threat. 

Women and people of colour also tend to be more aware of the impacts of biases in AI image generators that produce pictures of white men in suits, for example, when prompted for a picture of a CEO. 

Research by The AI Accountability Lab led by Abeba Birhane of Trinity College Dublin shows how AI perpetuates systemic bias, stereotyping and discriminating in ways that harm women and marginalised communities disproportionately.

Jobs held by women and those who are more economically precarious are disproportionately in clerical roles being displaced by AI. 

Women are also losing out when they apply for jobs because candidates are often overlooked by rigid automated AI screening of CVs that don’t consider career breaks or other non-traditional career paths.

'Epstein Tech'

AI is facilitating the rapid rise in violent, authoritarian leaders in both politics and business who blatantly and openly display disdain for women and marginalised people. 

Elon Musk, the man who became the world’s first trillionaire last week, is openly misogynistic and racist both in the tech tools his companies develop and in the corporate cultures he has shaped. 

Other tech-bro billionaires show similar attitudes toward women — Mark Zuckerberg ended Meta’s internal inclusion policies and said he wants less diversity and more male energy in his company. 

Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, has also been accused of sexual abuse by his sister and his company’s ChatGPT reinforces sexist stereotypes about women and girls.

Because AI relies on exploitation and coercion, AI has been called “Epstein Tech”. The large language models of generative AI are dehumanising agents as they steal data, identities and creative outputs for pleasure and convenience without caring about the people they are extracting from. 

For more than two decades, Jeffrey Epstein also embedded himself within Microsoft’s networks of executives, creating a deep cultural association within the tech industry.

AI's positive narrative

As the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous and hostile place for women, why hasn’t there been more societal concern about the misogyny baked into AI tools? 

Well, the tech companies have been strategically investing to promote a positive narrative using many of the same strategies that the fossil fuel and tobacco industries have used to conceal and deny the societal harms of their products. 

To increase their profits, these companies lobby against laws and regulations designed to protect people and communities, and they strategically invest in universities and research to legitimise and promote their AI-friendly narratives.

To date, Ireland has been a willing facilitator perpetuating the harms of AI and big tech. Ireland is one of the data centre capitals of the world with over 120 already built, and the Irish government created the AIready training program to encourage everyone in Ireland to use AI in daily life and at work.

Ireland’s public research agency, Research Ireland, just announced seven new research centres all led by men, with the AI centre being the largest, receiving €122 million.

Widespread concern about public funding promoting tech industry research and male-dominated research areas is growing; over 2500 people signed an open letter to the minister of Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

Jennie C Stephens: 'As the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous and hostile place for women, why hasn’t there been more societal concern about the misogyny baked into AI tools?'

In his recent encyclical on AI, the Pope warned that AI is creating vast global networks for extracting resources and pointed out that the ecological costs are paid by people and communities, not by the multinational tech companies. 

The Irish government must recognise that the misogyny of AI harms us all.

• Jennie C Stephens is professor of climate justice at the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University and co-convenor of the Climate Justice Universities Union