The gynoid is a female humanoid robot, the feminized version of “android.” The term was first used by sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov in 1979. While gynoid refers to robots, we expand the category to include feminine-coded cyborgs, virtual and voice assistants, AI, holograms, and non-humanoid robots that are given feminine features. We have been analyzing the portrayal of gynoids in media and what their characterization reflects about our culture’s beliefs about women, technology, consciousness, and power. Typically, these artificial women’s actions and autonomy are limited by their programming and the information they have been fed. Their role (as servant, caretaker, sexual object, or weapon) is defined for them, and they lack self-empowerment.
We often look to technology and AI for answers and greater insight into life, the universe, and the human experience. What would it look like for a gynoid to be a vessel of knowledge, a conduit for humans, and a voice of guidance in our ongoing journey of self-discovery and self-actualization? Throughout our project, we have returned to the hypothetical practice of providing a gynoid with the ancestral, historical, and theoretical knowledge she would need to assist us as we seek greater connection with our selves, each other, and our world.