Book Summary and Reviews of The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates

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Denita Winn

How Misogyny is Leveraging AI
In The New Age of Sexism: How AI and Emerging Technologies Are Reinventing Misogyny, Laura Bates tackles the issue of AI deepfakes (abusive images of women or girls on the web created by Artificial Intelligence without their consent or knowledge) and how this misuse of AI, “causes immediate harm to women and marginalized communities.” She conveys with real-life examples, from varying countries and cultures, how women and girls have a vastly different experience with this type of emerging technology than men do. As a stark example, many of the apps and websites that generate these images (within a few moments and for minimal cost) are not even capable of creating images of men. The programming has not been written because there is not a viable market for it. Women have not created the demand for deepfake abusive images of men. The one-sided nature of this abuse is evident throughout the book.

However, as Bates documents, when the abuse of deepfakes is addressed, mainstream media almost always portrays it through the lens of politics or business and how it could harm those endeavors. The experiences of women abused by this technology go largely unheeded. For some women, an image does not have to be blatantly explicit for it to cause damage or danger. In certain cultures, a picture of a woman without a hijab or with any male not in her immediate family is equal to a death sentence. While most deepfakes do contain nudity of some sort, it is not always necessary to endanger victims.

Bates gives a rigorously documented argument for the harm caused by deepfakes and accompanying AI endeavors. She gives ample voice to the opposing side, in every chapter, and refutes their arguments with evidence. So, she is not someone simply spouting her own opinions without anything to back them up. Her writing is supported by interviews with experts, professors, and professional organizations. In many instances, she put herself in uncomfortable situations online or in venues catering to this type of content, as part of her research process. She shared many first-hand experiences, not all of which were easy for her to endure.

Bates’ writing is meticulously researched, with extensive end notes for each chapter. She expands her reporting from deepfakes to other ways AI technology is creating numerous situations that cause safety concerns and invalidates the autonomy of women and girls. Also included in the end materials are resources for sexual assault hotlines, civil rights crisis helplines, and several other organizations that offer aid and support to victims of deepfake or AI abuse. A reading group guide is also available to encourage discussions, expanding on the concepts in the book and giving readers a chance to explore them within their own experiences or concerns.

In writing about this subject, Bates gives voice to something many of us may only have a peripheral knowledge of. She expands on the concept, helping readers to understand how deeply these issues already affect our culture and how much more damage could be done in the near future if safety measures are not taken seriously by governments, businesses, and citizens. She positions the dangers as global issues, across many cultures. The New Age of Sexism is an excellent piece of writing that will expand readers’ understanding of technological misogyny and its implications as we move into the future.