This AI Powered Doll Fights Gender Stereotypes in STEM
The IT Girls Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture Song, has launched a social campaign aimed at breaking gender stereotypes that hinder women's success in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The campaign features an interactive doll whose statements were generated by artificial intelligence based on internet content about raising girls and women's predispositions. These include messages that shape girls' personalities and self-esteem from childhood, influencing their life choices. The initiative highlights the stereotyping that women face from an early age and shows how we can contribute to breaking harmful communication patterns.
Only 35% of students at Polish technical universities are women, and in fields such as automation and industrial robotics, women's participation is less than 5%. Research among young women indicates a crisis of confidence in their own abilities and a lack of enthusiasm for new technologies is usually observed in the early stages of adolescence (10 - 13 years). This is because, from the earliest years, girls encounter stereotypes that lower their interest in STEM professions, which in turn translates into fewer female students at technical universities. Moreover, experts point out that stereotyped communication negatively affects children's psyche, disturbs their sense of self-worth, and builds pressure related to image, self-esteem, and the need for acceptance.
The interactive doll METSy, developed by Accenture Song, expresses stereotypical content that girls hear from an early age. The texts were created through a process of data scraping, simulating young users browsing websites, forums, YouTube channels, and TikTok. Based on the collected data, the Accenture team trained the generative AI model, which generated METSy's statements, such as: "It's better to aim for fame and focus on looks than to spend time learning programming" and "Women are not meant to deal with difficult matters like technology."
"Using the generative AI model allowed us to capture harmful communication patterns that girls are exposed to from the earliest years. The METSy doll replicates them just as children memorise and repeat information without analysing or critically assessing it, which can lead to the entrenchment of wrongful beliefs. Using an interactive toy in the campaign allowed us to draw parents' and teachers' attention to the significant problem of stereotyping in communication directed at children," comments Michał Pawłowski, Accenture Song.
The campaign consisted of two stages. In the first stage, the METSy doll was sent to popular parenting influencers, who, surprised by the content it expressed, published their comments online. The topic sparked discussion among the communities gathered around the influencers, including parents and teachers. The message was further reinforced by a video produced in collaboration with Shoot Me Productions, modelled on typical children's toy advertisements. In the second stage, on February 11th, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, information revealing the campaign, featuring METSy and the source of her statements, was published. It turned out that the doll could be reprogrammed to its opposite, STEMmy, whose statements, prepared in collaboration with psychologists and educators, encourage girls to develop in STEM fields. Reprogramming involved solving a simple programming task with the child on the website and activating a button on the doll.
"The campaign's main goal is to draw attention to the ubiquity of stereotypes that can negatively affect the choices made by girls in the future. As the analysis of content that reaches them via the Internet has shown, prejudices often accompany topics related to the science. We are convinced that STEM fields need specialists regardless of gender, and our campaign aims to open girls up to development and a career in the IT world," comments Wioletta Klimczak, president of the IT Girls Foundation.
As part of the campaign, the IT Girls Foundation, supporting the development of technology interests among children and youth and working for inclusivity in the IT industry, offers schools and parents a proposal for cooperation in organising and conducting workshops for children. The sessions with IT Girls representatives aim to familiarise girls with the specifics of working in STEM fields, as well as to strengthen their confidence and courage in choosing their dream career path.
The creative concept of the campaign was developed by Accenture Song, the world’s largest tech-powered creative group, together with Accenture, which designed the interactive doll, technological solutions, and a multi-stage social media campaign. Several copies of the doll were produced using 3D printing technology in collaboration with Sygnis, and its clothes are creations by designer Monika Cisło. METsy was designed exclusively for the campaign and will not be sold. The voice of the doll was provided by singer and songwriter Marika, who is also the face of the campaign.
