``I Felt Like I Wasn't Really Meant to be There'': Understanding Women's Perceptions of Gender in Approaching AI Design & Development

Abstract

Women continue to enter and remain in AI development at a rate far lower than men, and this glaring gender gap has caused AI technologies to contain inherent bias in their design. While studies have explored the challenges women face in the field, little has been done to explore the influences of women's gender identities on how women approach gender in AI design. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight women with diverse experiences in various areas of AI design in order to understand how women perceive the role of their gender identity within the AI design community and how those perceptions have influenced their design approach for AI systems. Our research provides first-hand empirical evidence from women’s own perspectives on how the enduring gender gap in the AI field is reinforcing harmful bias in designing and developing AI systems. We also propose initial design implications and highlight urgently needed future research for designing more inclusive AI technologies with diverse gender perspectives in mind.