A new study has unveiled concerning gender and racial biases in AI-generated videos, which frequently underrepresent women and minorities in the legal profession. The research, published by Kapwing, evaluated outputs from major AI video creation tools, including Google’s Veo 3 and OpenAI’s Sora 2. These platforms depicted women as lawyers merely 21.62% of the time, starkly contrasted with the actual figure of 41.2% women in the profession, according to 2023 American Bar Association data.
The study highlights significant underrepresentation of women in professional roles within AI-generated content. Hailuo Minimax, for instance, showcased none of its AI-generated lawyers as women. Furthermore, women in judicial roles were portrayed 9.19% less frequently than their real-life representation. This pattern extends beyond the legal industry; AI tools depict men as CEOs nearly 90% of the time.
Addressing racial bias, the study indicates that lawyers of color were depicted 18.06% of the time in AI videos, below the existing 23% real-world proportion. Conversely, judges were represented as Black, Latino, or Asian 49% of the time, exceeding the estimated 25% or less in actual judicial roles. This discrepancy could skew public perception, emphasizing the importance of accurate media representation.
The authors emphasize how such biases can perpetuate stereotypes, exacerbating societal inequalities by reinforcing skewed norms learned from training data. As AI-generated content becomes increasingly ubiquitous, its embedded biases may significantly shape societal views and professional ambitions. Kapwing acknowledges its role in this landscape but notes that biases reflect broader industry challenges in AI model development.
For those interested in a comprehensive examination of biases across other professions and demographics, the detailed study is accessible via Kapwing’s website.