The Burden of Care: Feminized AI, Emotional Labour, and Gendered Exploitation in Dystopian Fiction

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Author: Fatima Saleem, Dr. Nusrat Jamal Arshad

Keywords: Feminized artificial intelligence, emotional labour, gendered exploitation, dystopian fiction, techno feminism, posthumanism, artificial intelligence autonomy

Abstract: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in fiction and reality begs serious ethical and gender issues. This study looks at how feminine artificial intelligence in dystopian fiction is sometimes created for emotional labour, therefore supporting conventional gender norms while also criticizing their inherent exploitation. This work investigates the gendered coding of artificial intelligence and its sociopolitical consequences using feminist theory, posthumanism, and AI studies. Comparative study of gendered, mechanized, and gender-neutral artificial intelligence offers understanding of power relations in AI stories. Contemporary fictions explore these subjects in case studies including Her (2013), Ex Machina (2014), Westworld (2016–2022), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). The study also links fictional depictions to actual artificial intelligence technologies, such Alexa, Siri, and ChatGPT, therefore casting doubts on whether present AI advances support or contradict gender labour. In the end, this paper contends that although dystopian literature exposes gendered AI exploitation, it also reinforces some stereotypes, therefore posing ethical issues about AI autonomy and future portrayal.

Article Info: Received: 29 Sep 2025; Received in revised form: 29 Oct 2025; Accepted: 02 Nov 2025; Available online: 06 Nov 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijeel.4.6.3

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