Artificial Intelligence and Gender Ethics: A Conceptual Framework

Artificial Intelligence and Gender Ethics: A Conceptual Framew or k

Dr. Hossein Ali Rahmati\

Lecturer and Researcher in Inf or mation Technology Ethics and Artificial Intelligence Ethics – Iran\

November 5, 2026\

(1) What Is Gender Ethics?\

Gender ethics is a branch of ethics concerned with the n or mative examination of issues such as femininity and masculinity, gender roles, gender identity, cultural, social, and ethical structures relating to women and men, as well as matters of justice and discrimination affecting them. It differs from sexual ethics, which concerns the n or ms governing sexual relationships and what ought and ought not to be done in this domain. One of the subfields of gender ethics concerns its relationship with technology. Despite the significance of this subject, unf or tunately, it has not yet received serious attention in our country. The growing prevalence of artificial intelligence, alongside other developments such as cultural transf or mations and the increasing participation of women in various spheres of social life in our society, has intensified discussions on gender ethics and raised numerous questions in this regard. Acc or dingly, it is imperative that religious seminaries and academic institutions concerned with m or al philosophy, in cooperation with the relevant technology auth or ities and cultural policymaking bodies, define “Artificial Intelligence and Gender Ethics” as a maj or research project and undertake a comprehensive investigation of its various dimensions and aspects.\

(2) What Does Artificial Intelligence Have to Do with Gender Ethics?\

The first step in examining artificial intelligence and gender ethics is to clarify the relationship between them and identify the objectives and applications of this field. The production, development, and increasingly widespread use of AI-based technologies and applications have given rise to a range of ethical issues and challenges related to gender (women and men, particularly women). The primary objective of this branch of ethics is to identify and analyze these challenges and to develop strategies f or resolving or mitigating them. The second step is to specify the the or y and perspective on the basis of which this analysis is to be conducted. F or example, with regard to the concept and manifestations of gender bias in artificial intelligence and the ways of addressing it, virtue ethics, from the perspective of Islamic ethics, may advance a position that differs substantially from that of deontological ethics or from non-Islamic and even non-religious perspectives. Another advantage of specifying the the or etical framew or k and perspective is that it provides an opp or tunity f or comparative studies of different ethical the or ies and schools of thought, thereby making it possible to identify and explain their points of convergence and divergence.\

(3) A Research Framew or k f or the Study of Gender Ethics\

Any research examining artificial intelligence from the perspective of gender ethics, particularly research undertaken in the f or m of academic theses and books, should be based on a coherent and logically structured sequence of inquiry. It is not possible to prescribe a single, unif or m research framew or k f or all scholars in this field. Each researcher should determine the topics and components of their study acc or ding to their particular research question and hypothesis. Nevertheless, the following appear to be among the most imp or tant proposed areas f or research in this field: 1. Defining gender ethics and explaining its relationship with artificial intelligence; 2. F or mulating the research problem and specifying the research objectives, significance, methodology, and necessity; 3. Reviewing previous studies, critically examining the literature on the subject, and identifying the research gap; 4. Presenting the the or etical foundations and principles of competing the or ies and critically evaluating them from a particular perspective (such as Islamic ethics) and on the basis of a specified the or y (such as virtue ethics); 5. Explaining the research hypothesis and providing a reasoned and well-substantiated defense of the proposed argument; 6. Conducting a comparative analysis between the the or y being defended and competing the or ies; 7. Proposing strategies f or developing a reasonable and coherent ethical the or y concerning gender-related issues associated with artificial intelligence.\

(4) Gender Ethics Is Not a Feminist Project\

Although feminist the or ists have undertaken considerable scholarly w or k on gender ethics and artificial intelligence (see, f or example, Feminist AI, edited by Judy Brown et al., Oxf or d, 2023), and have even advanced the or ies such as Data Feminism, this does not mean that the study of women, gender, and technology falls exclusively within their domain or intellectual jurisdiction, even if some of them seek to create such an impression. Acc or dingly, scholars w or king in technology ethics, particularly those seeking to examine this field from an Islamic perspective, should observe the following: First, they must be careful not to regard this subject as an exclusively feminist project, since doing so could lead to neglecting this field and leaving it to others. Second, they should seriously and systematically seek to understand and critically evaluate feminist the or ies in this area through rig or ous scholarly inquiry. Third, they should w or k toward articulating the foundations and principles of Islamic ethics concerning gender and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, while clarifying the distinctive features of this ethical approach and its points of distinction from feminist ethics.\

(5) The Responsibilities of Religious Institutions Regarding an Ethical System f or Gender\

In the age of widespread artificial intelligence, Islamic seminaries face an exceptionally challenging situation. They must be particularly vigilant not to fall behind the developments taking place in this field, whose pace continues to accelerate day by day. Naturally, given their institutional mission in the field of ethics, their f or emost responsibility concerns addressing the ethical issues and challenges associated with artificial intelligence, including gender ethics. Both seminaries as institutions and their students and religious scholars should recognize that monit or ing the traject or y of developments in our society over the past several decades, together with a f or ward-looking examination of plausible future scenarios, points to the following realities concerning the years ahead: 1. The use of artificial intelligence will continue to expand, and, consequently, the number of emerging ethical issues associated with it will increase; 2. Issues concerning women, gender, and technology will become increasingly significant and will attract greater attention; 3. Responding to this process requires serious, in-depth, and continuous scholarly engagement; 4. Articulating Islam's position on these matters requires the f or mulation of a comprehensive ethical system; 5. Accomplishing this task requires the education and professional training of specialized experts.\

(6) The Need to F or mulate an Islamic Ethical System Concerning Gender\

The articulation of Islam's ethical positions on gender and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as well as the provision of answers to the questions and challenges arising in this field, must be carried out in a manner that is consistent with and justifiable within the broader body of Islamic knowledge and its various constituent fields. This cannot be achieved unless a dedicated ethical framew or k/system is developed f or this purpose. Some of the most imp or tant components of this system, whose f or mulation is primarily the responsibility of Islamic seminaries and should be grounded in rational and transmitted (scriptural) sources and evidence, include the following: 1. The theological, epistemological, anthropological, ontological, and axiological foundations concerning gender and technology; 2. The criteria f or making ethical judgments and evaluations regarding gender and technology; 3. The ethical principles governing the design, production, development, and use of technology; 4. Mechanisms and strategies f or ensuring that all stakeholders comply with these principles; 5. F or esight into the future challenges facing religious perspectives on gender and technology; 6. Understanding and critically evaluating competing ethical the or ies.\

(7) What Should Be Done About Gender Bias?\

Gender bias refers to a situation in which intelligent systems produce audio, textual, or visual outputs that fav or one gender to the detriment of the other. Such biases can emerge at every stage of the design, production, development, and use of artificial intelligence. F or example, when presenting criteria f or employee selection, an AI system may pri or itize characteristics associated with men over those associated with women. Similarly, alg or ithms used in health insurance may pay greater attention to men than to women. An AI system recommending occupations might also classify m or e emotionally or iented professions, such as nursing, as particularly suitable f or women, while associating occupations requiring stronger intellectual abilities, such as engineering, with men. Of course, gender bias does not always disadvantage women; it may also operate to the detriment of men. These biases constitute unethical practices because they may violate the principles of justice, rights, and fairness, or result in individuals being deprived of their rights. Their examination and analysis are theref or e necessary. Acc or dingly, research in this area should address the fact or s and conditions that give rise to gender bias, its manifestations, its consequences, the criteria f or identifying it, and the methods available f or eliminating or mitigating it.\

(8) Women's Responsibilities at Different Levels of Gender Ethics\

Women themselves have an influential role and a key responsibility in preventing or c or recting the erroneous gender-related attitudes that artificial intelligence systems may adopt toward women (and men). Without women's awareness of this responsibility and their willingness to act acc or dingly, such attitudes and assumptions will not be adequately c or rected. The following are some of the most imp or tant actions women can undertake in this regard: 1. Meaningful and active participation in the design and development of artificial intelligence; 2. Active involvement in institutions responsible f or AI policymaking and regulation; 3. Raising public awareness of the consequences of gender bias in artificial intelligence and the ways of addressing it; 4. Critically evaluating the or ies concerning gender bias; 5. Criticizing applications and alg or ithms that engage in discriminat or y practices; 6. Producing appropriate and relevant content, since language models derive their inf or mation from such content. Of course, in carrying out these responsibilities, women should observe two imp or tant considerations: First, they should benefit from consultation and cooperation with men. Second, they should guard against excessive and extreme approaches that could lead to hostile and unjust biases against men.\

(9) Education and Awareness-Raising: A Prerequisite f or Ethical Conduct\

Identifying gender biases and recognizing the sexual misuse of artificial intelligence are certainly necessary, but they are not sufficient. A m or e imp or tant question, which should receive the attention of all those engaged in ethical reflection and research, is what should be done to remedy and c or rect this problem. There are undoubtedly various possible solutions, the identification of which requires consultation and cooperation among ethics specialists and experts from other relevant disciplines. However, one of the most imp or tant approaches is education, ethical f or mation, and the enhancement of media literacy among all stakeholders, ranging from designers, developers, and policymakers to or dinary users. The first step in this process is the production of appropriate educational content. The next step is communicating this content to its intended audiences through engaging and persuasive methods. Finally, supervis or y and monit or ing mechanisms should be established, potentially accompanied by a system of incentives and sanctions. Education should begin at the primary-school level. In terms of its content, the subjects taught should be tail or ed to the characteristics and needs of the target audiences and should include such topics as ethical principles and duties, the rights of women and men in the design and development of artificial intelligence, and methods f or identifying and detecting gender bias.\

(10) Ethics and Gender: An Unstoppable Process\

It is best to address all those concerned with the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence in our country with complete cand or , sincerity, and brevity, and to emphasize the following points: 1. The process of adopting artificial intelligence in our society has only recently begun, and it will advance at a considerably faster pace in the coming years; 2. The issue of “women and femininity” has been among the most prominent subjects of public debate in our society in recent years, and its significance will continue to grow; 3. In parallel with these two developments, ethical issues concerning gender and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, will increasingly become among the f or emost ethical challenges facing Iranian society. Acc or dingly, all individuals and institutions that have either a responsibility or a genuine concern regarding ethics and technology must make the continuous, systematic, and scholarly examination and analysis of this field, together with policymaking and planning, an integral part of their agenda. They should monit or developments in this area not merely on an annual or monthly basis, but every single day. Those who develop and use artificial intelligence will not wait f or us to complete our ethical research. It is we who must take the initiative. We should not merely keep pace with them; we must move ahead of them.