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AI’s Political Geographies of Gender: Algorithms of Oppression and ‘Manfluencer’ Encounters

Gender
Identity
Qualitative
Social Media
Men
Political Ideology
Technology
Youth
Connie Copley
Northumbria University
Connie Copley
Northumbria University
Jason Luger
Northumbria University

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the ways that AI engenders misogynistic discourse, images, and exposure, and in doing so, feeds into the wider political geographies of far-right masculinity. We overview some key configurations of the landscape of AI and its convergence with - and contribution to - societal shifts toward far-right misogyny, and then some of the critical research in this area in geography and cognate discourses. We then draw from one of our research projects looking at online misogyny and offline spatialities of young men (aged 18 - 23) in Northern England, where such entanglements are under close critical scrutiny at the current time. Substantively, we argue that AI, underwritten with biases and ideologies, has provided a new frontier for misogyny to be mainstreamed and spatialised. AI can catalyse everyday spaces and practices of misogyny where the algorithm takes root in the identities, social interactions, and behaviours of offline users who are, in many cases, unaware of AI's underlying biases, mechanisms, and coded patterns. We suggest this has critical implications for society, given the growing role of AI for use in everyday life, education, labour, and entertainment.