Women in Games Part 2 - Who's Training the Machine? (Episode 269)

In Part 1, Jem, Alex, and Matt explored the Women in Games Manifesto and the persistent gender gap in the games industry. In this follow-up episode, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence. Could it be the catalyst for change the industry needs, or is it making things worse?Jem shares her own experiment, asking Gemini to generate images of a "young video gamer," a "game designer," and a "CEO". The results reveal a lot about the biases baked into AI systems. The team also digs into the environmental cost of AI, the impact of data centres on water usage and hardware availability, and what it means that women are underrepresented in the AI industry too.Topics covered:AI's gender bias problem and UNESCO research on LLM stereotypingJem's live Gemini image experiment — and asking AI to explain itselfThe environmental impact of AI: water usage, graphics cards, and rising PC costsWhy women need a seat at the table in AI developmentThe case for regulation, civic engagement, and challenging AI directlyUseful links/stats mentioned:Women in Games Manifesto: womeningames.orgWomen in Games Guide — Building a Fair Playing Field - https://www.womeningames.org/downloads/36% of game developers now use generative AI daily (58% in publishing & marketing)20% of new Steam games disclosed AI use by mid-2025UNESCO (2024–25) research on gender bias in LLMs📢 Support the Podcast!Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube!If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us:🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content!🔹 PayPal Donations: [email protected]🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers!🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every ThursdayThanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨#GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast