05/21/2021

Path-breaking use of artificial intelligence reveals racial and gender bias in children’s books

Books

For much of American history, the books that children read have largely centered on white, male characters—but is that starting to change? Not very much, and not very quickly, suggests new research from the University of Chicago.

In a new working paper, Asst. Prof. Anjali Adukia of the Harris School of Public Policy found that over the past 100 years, characters in children’s books—as measured by images and text—are largely white and male. This white/male dominance is even true of books published in recent decades, which have seen heightened awareness about race and gender issues.

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