SUMMARY

What happens when AI navigates the complexity of the closet? What are the ethical issues related to the disclosure of information about gender and sexuality? And did Facebook know I was gay before I did?  

This panel discussion explores the intersection of LGBTQ communities and the classification practices used by everyday technologies to ‘make sense’ of genders and sexualities that depart from a cisgender, heterosexual default.  

Whether you are scrolling social media posts, creating a dating app profile or looking for a film to watch on Netflix, many everyday technologies involve putting users into boxes according to their gender and/or sexuality. But sometimes these boxes do not match how individuals understand or wish to present themselves to the wider world. What should happen next? 

Themes covered include whether AI can reveal hidden aspects of who we are – including interests, desires, kinks and attractions? Or if our interactions with these technologies shape us and how we think about ourselves? The discussion will pose wider questions about the benefits of ‘digital inclusion’ for LGBTQ people and other minoritised communities, challenge simplistic assumptions about fixing biases and advance approaches to AI that are more equitable for LGBTQ communities.