REPORT: The impact of AI on LGBTIQ+ people
Forbidden Colours releases a report titled “The Impact of AI on LGBTIQ+ People: From Discrimination to Disinformation.” written by researchers Megan Thomas and Meredith Veit.
This comprehensive study unveils the multifaceted ways in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies contribute to the spread of misinformation and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ communities, highlighting the urgent need for a rights-based approach in AI regulation and development.
The report delves into the phenomenon of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), emphasizing the strategic use of mis- and disinformation by foreign actors to exacerbate social divisions and incite hatred against LGBTIQ+ individuals. With AI’s capability to rapidly generate and disseminate content, the risks of biased and harmful information reaching vast audiences have significantly increased, posing a direct threat to the safety and rights of LGBTIQ+ people.
Key findings of the report include the exacerbation of biases against marginalized groups through AI algorithms, the spread of harmful stereotypes, and the use of AI in creating and propagating anti-LGBTIQ+ narratives. Notably, the report cites instances where AI-generated advice has dangerously misrepresented LGBTIQ+ issues, such as the controversial statement by Google’s Bard AI chatbot regarding conversion therapy.
About the authors:
Megan Thomas is a researcher on human rights activism, specialising in gender rights and queer activism. She focuses on amplifying different voices and groups through interviewing, qualitative research and bridging the gap between resistance and change. Megan graduated in French Literature at Sorbonne Universités, Human Rights and Democratisation at the Global Campus of Human Rights and International Crimes, Conflict and Criminology at VU University in Amsterdam, where she wrote her thesis on protection policies for human rights defenders in eastern DRC.
Meredith’s work sits at the intersection of business, human rights and technology, with a particular focus on at-risk groups. She is a journalist by vocation, and she has worked on various projects related to the protection of human rights defenders, journalists, migrants’ rights and children’s rights in the digital age. She specializes in fact-finding, trauma-informed and gender-sensitive interviewing, and project management. Meredith holds a master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratisation from the Global Campus of Human Rights and a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Culture from The George Washington University.
