Gender Differences Regarding the Perception of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Relevance & Research Question: Technical progress through digitalisation is constantly increasing. Currently, the most relevant and technically sophisticated technology is artificial intelligence (AI). Women are less frequently involved in research and development on AI, clearly in the minority in STEM-professions and study programmes, and less frequently in management positions. Previous AI applications have often been based on data that under-represents women and thus map our society with existing disadvantages and injustices.
So do men and women have different ideas about the role and significance of AI in the future? Do women have different requirements or wishes for AI?

Methods & Data: Following the previously conducted in-depth literature research, a combination of qualitative interview study [n=6] and quantitative online survey [n=200] is planned. The target group will consist of company representatives and students whereby the evaluation of differences and correlations will be based in particular on gender.

Results: A literature review of existing studies reveals that while more people are in favour of AI development than against it, it is mainly men with a high level of education and income. According to their self-awareness, women have a lower understanding of AI than men. Moreover, AI research and development is predominantly in the hands of men. Just under 25% of those employed in the AI sector are women, in Germany even only 16%. Old stereotypes are thus not only the basis for decisions regarding the development of AI but also incorporated into the data basis for AI: Voice and speech recognition systems are less reliable for female voices, as is face recognition for female faces. Search engines more often present male-connoted image and text results for gender-neutral search terms. The expected results of the questionnaire will be gender-relevant aspects in the perception, evaluation, development and use of AI.

Added Value: The identification of gender-relevant differences in the perception and attitude towards AI will enable developers and researchers to be sensitised to the possible risks of AI applications in terms of prejudice and discrimination. In addition, opportunities for using AI to strengthen gender equality will be recognized.

Full text

Gender Dierences Regarding the Perception of Artificial Intelligence
Swetlana Franken, Nina Mauritz, Malte Wattenberg
Technical progress through digitalisation is constantly increasing. Currently, the most
relevant and technically sophisticated technology is artificial intelligence (AI). Women
are less frequently involved in research and development on AI, clearly in the minority
in STEM-professions and study programmes, and less frequently in management posi-
tions. Previous AI applications have often been based on data that under-represents
women and thus map our society with existing disadvantages and injustices.
Accordingly we defined the following general research questions:
Do men and women have dierent ideas about the role and significance of AI in the
future? Do women have dierent requirements or wishes for AI?
The expected results of the questionnaire will be gender-rele-
vant aspects in the perception, evaluation, development and
use of AI.
This allows the general public to be sensitised to the possible
risks of AI applications in terms of prejudice and discriminati-
on. In addition, opportunities for using AI to strengthen gender
equality will be elaborated.
Added Value
Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Business and Health
Interaktion 1
33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Contact
Relevance
Prof. Dr. Swetlana Franken
Nina Mauritz
Malte Wattenberg
Survey Method
A literature review of existing studies reveals that while more
people are in favour of AI development than against it, it is
mainly men with a high level of education and income.
According to their self-awareness, women have a lower un-
derstanding of AI than men. Moreover, AI research and de-
velopment is predominantly in the hands of men. Just under
25% of those employed in the AI sector are women, in Ger-
many even only 16%. Old stereotypes are thus not only the
basis for decisions regarding the development of AI but also
incorporated into the data basis for AI: Voice and speech re-
cognition systems are less reliable for female voices, as is face
recognition for female faces.
In addition, initial evidence shows that factors such as under-
standing and trust play a major role in the successful use of AI,
although we do not know whether there are gender dierences.
Consideration
https://www.fh-bielefeld.de/wug/forschung/denkfabrik-digitalisierte-arbeitswelt
2 Operationalisation > Develop a questionnaire of 68 questions, most widely used scale is Likert scale, as questions
require survey respondents to select their level of agreement to a statement
> Reduction to the most highly selective and reliable 22 questions > Programming of the questionnaire
3 Review > Pretest to check completeness and comprehensibility, n = 8
4 Field Phase > 29 July – 13 September 2020, n = 200
5 Evaluation > Statistical procedures by using the software IBM SPSS Statistics
> depending on the hypothesis by mean, standard deviation and significance test
6 Publication of Results
End of 2020
Opportunities and Risks
H1: For men, AI is more
frequently associated with
opportunities than with
risks than women.
Trust
H3: Trust is an
important success
factor for using
AI.
Insight and Transparency
H4: People want to be
able to follow how decisi-
ons are taken by AI.
Motivation and Competences
H2: Women are less interes-
ted and less proficient in AI
applications than men.
1 Qualitative Studies > Literature review > Generating hypotheses