Artificial Intelligence sounds like progress.
But for Arab women, it often feels like déjà vu — another system not built with us in mind.
While AI tools claim to be neutral, the truth is: they inherit every bias coded into them.
And when those tools are trained on datasets that erase us, stereotype us, or simply don’t see us — they become silent gatekeepers.
The result? A sleek new tech world where we’re still invisible.
When Tech Doesn’t Speak Our Language
Have you ever tried speaking Arabic into an AI transcription tool?
It stutters. It misgenders. It cuts you off.
Try uploading a hijabi woman’s photo into a beauty filter. The algorithm “corrects” her — lightens her skin, flattens her features, erases the veil.
That’s not innovation. That’s erasure.
The machines don’t hate us. They just weren’t taught to see us.
And that’s the core problem — our absence in design leads to our erasure in output.
Arab Women Are Already Behind — AI Can’t Make It Worse
We come from societies where women still fight for basic rights — in law, at work, in our own homes.
Now, a new digital empire is rising — and guess what? We’re being left out of that too.
AI is being used to screen job applicants, decide prison sentences, write news, grade essays, and even diagnose diseases.
If it doesn’t recognize us… how can it serve us?
If we’re not in the data — we don’t exist.
And if we don’t act now, our future will be built in our absence — again.
We’re Not Waiting for Inclusion — We’re Demanding It
As a Syrian-American journalist and activist, I’ve seen how narratives shape lives. And now, algorithms are narratives.
That’s why Arab feminists need to do more than critique tech — we need to infiltrate it.
We need:
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More Arab women in STEM and AI ethics.
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Local data sets that reflect our realities.
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Journalists and artists asking the right questions.
This isn’t just about representation.
It’s about power.
It’s about survival.
Because when we show up in the data, we show up in the decisions.
A Final Thought: Code Like a Revolution
If you’re an Arab woman reading this — yes, this space belongs to you too.
Learn the tools. Challenge the systems. Create better ones.
The future isn’t written yet.
Let’s make sure it doesn’t write us out.
