Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most influential technologies shaping contemporary social and economic structures, raising fundamental questions about its role in gender justice. Does AI function as a tool for women’s empowerment and expanded participation, or does it replicate existing systems of dominance within new digital frameworks?
On one hand, AI can serve as a powerful instrument of empowerment. AI-driven digital platforms have expanded access to education and remote work opportunities, enabling many women to overcome geographical and social constraints. Data analytics tools can also reveal wage gaps and workplace discrimination, supporting evidence-based policymaking for gender equality. Moreover, generative AI tools have allowed women to produce knowledge and creative content with greater autonomy.
On the other hand, AI systems may inherit and amplify societal biases embedded in the data used to train them. If historical datasets reflect gender discrimination, algorithms may reproduce these biases in hiring, lending, or facial recognition systems. For example, recruitment algorithms developed by companies such as Amazon faced criticism for gender bias. This highlights the risks of deploying opaque systems without ethical oversight.
The issue, therefore, lies not in the technology itself but in the social and political contexts in which it is developed and implemented. Integrating gender-sensitive design principles, increasing women’s representation in AI research, and enforcing transparency and accountability standards are crucial factors in determining whether AI becomes a liberating force or a mechanism of reinforced dominance. Ultimately, the future of AI in relation to feminist empowerment depends on how responsibly and inclusively this technology is governed.