In this Workshop we will discuss automated gender recognition (AGR) technology’s current uses in our daily lives, and highlight the ways in which these systems are particularly difficult for those who do not visibly fall within the gender binary (Male:Female) or who do not identify as either male or female. We will draw on research with transgender and nonbinary individuals as well as our own experiences as trans and nonbinary activists and researchers to make the claim that gender classification is violent -- it cannot be optimized into a positive offering. Participants will be invited to feed photos of themselves into various AGR systems and review outputs with the group, to discuss the feelings the results elicit.
Our workshop is designed to support any number of participants, from one to as many as the Mozfest online platform will allow! A smaller group will allow for more in-depth conversation and an opportunity to get more personal, while a larger group will offer greater diversity in our discussion and activity. All the facilitators are well-versed in leading workshops of all sizes and will be able to pivot easily to support the needs of the participants -- once we learn who they are at the start of the workshop!
We're hoping that many efforts and discussions will continue after Mozfest. Share any ideas you already have for how to continue the work from your session. –Our proposed workshop is the culmination of a pre-existing collaboration between Google Ethical AI researchers and interdisciplinary New York City-based artists. Once it is safe again to convene, we plan to develop a robust website on our topic of the violence of gender classification systems, which will include mini-documentaries on transgender and nonbinary individuals’ responses to AGR systems. This website will allow individuals from across the globe to learn about the potential and already occurring harms of AGR and listen to the stories of those who have engaged with this technology and have found it wanting. As such, we welcome the opportunity to continue our work and conversation beyond Mozfest.
Emily Denton is a Research Scientist on Google’s Ethical AI team, studying the societal impacts of machine learning and AI technology.
Alex Hanna is a sociologist and senior research scientist working on the Ethical AI team at Google.