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Technology Games/Gender Games. From Wittgenstein’s Toolbox and Language Games to Gendered Robots and Biased Artificial Intelligence

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Feminist Philosophy of Technology

Part of the book series: Techno:Phil – Aktuelle Herausforderungen der Technikphilosophie ((TPAHT,volume 2))

Abstract

Responding to postphenomenology, going beyond postmodern obsessions with text and discourse, and using Wittgenstein, this chapter proposes a conceptual framework for addressing gender issues raised by technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence. It is shown that technologies, through their use, are always connected to wider social and cultural meanings. These “technology games” include “gender games”. This notion enables us to reveal, analyze, and critically discuss the gender meanings linked to material artefacts and other technologies. It thus provides a way to conceptualize why and how technologies such as robots and artificial intelligence can be gendered. This approach, which is not necessarily feminist but certainly critical and compatible with Wajcman’s work and with posthumanist questioning, can also inform and help to shape more ethical design of new technologies that takes into account gender issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vienna, Austria

    Mark Coeckelbergh

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  1. Mark Coeckelbergh
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Correspondence to Mark Coeckelbergh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Philosophie, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria

    Janina Loh

  2. Institut für Philosophie, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria

    Mark Coeckelbergh

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Coeckelbergh, M. (2019). Technology Games/Gender Games. From Wittgenstein’s Toolbox and Language Games to Gendered Robots and Biased Artificial Intelligence. In: Loh, J., Coeckelbergh, M. (eds) Feminist Philosophy of Technology. Techno:Phil – Aktuelle Herausforderungen der Technikphilosophie, vol 2. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-476-04967-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-476-04967-4_2

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  • Publisher Name: J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-476-04966-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-476-04967-4

  • eBook Packages: J.B. Metzler Humanities (German Language)

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