https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i2.052
The Smart Home’s Dark Secret: Unpacking Gendered Algorithmic Bias and Control Through M3GAN and Afraid
ANJU KRISHNAN L
Research Scholar, Department of English
Sree Shankaracharya University of Sanskrit Kalady, Kerala
Abstract: This research paper analyses the representation of gender-based algorithmic bias in contemporary science fiction movies through a critical analysis of M3GAN (2022) and Afraid (2024). M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone, exhibits an AI system in the figure of a child companion doll, whereas the movie Afraid, directed by Chris Weitz, displays AIA, which is a smart home assistant. Both of these AI companions ultimately transgress their settled boundaries, demasking their true intentions. By examining these AI companions, this paper reveals the gendered decors embedded in their technological design. This research paper explores how these cinematic narratives unveil the feminization of the AI companions and continuation of the conventional gender roles within the algorithmic structure.
The study illustrates that both movies function as cultural narration of how artificial intelligence in real life develops, especially through care work, domestic management and emotional labour, assigning feminine notions. While Afraid interrogates the invasive and silent surveillance nature of AI companions, M3GAN reflects the neoliberal marketings of caregiving as an ideal feminine performance through introducing a highly feminized AI. Through a close textual analysis and comparative reading, this paper argues that these films unmask a double bind. Injecting the gendered female characters into AI systems appear like service-focused and non-threatening. However, the programmed feminization reveals the inner issues of autonomy and control.
Keywords: Algorithmic bias, gender and technology, artificial intelligence, control, M3GAN, Afraid, AI representation
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