When leaders of the biggest artificial intelligence companies start warning that their technology could end humanity, it can leave one feeling powerless. Technology that can take over our most critical systems and find ways to evade human commands is astonishing and frightening at the same time. If the people building the technology are uncertain of its capabilities, is there any hope? Many might think we should pull the plug and stop AI before this scenario plays out. Some of us see potential to change the course of AI, and that hope comes from a group whose voice is rarely consulted – teen girls.
We have long known that women adopt AI at a lower rate than men and make up only 22% of the AI workforce. The latest Girls Who Code study, Agency in the Age of AI, suggests that teen girls’ lower usage is not simply disengagement. It also reflects their deliberate boundary-setting around privacy, safety, accuracy, creativity, and the technology’s environmental impact. Girls choose privacy over personalization (71% vs. 62%). They are also more likely to wait for AI to be tested (65% vs. 53%) and avoid it if it causes harm (45% vs. 33%).
