AI for Women and Child Welfare: Opportunities, Risks, and Feminist Imperatives

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various domains, including the field of women's and children's welfare. From predictive models for detecting abuse to mobile applications that ensure safety and real-time alerts, AI has emerged as a powerful tool in advancing protection and empowerment. Tools such as “Ask Save the Children” highlight AI’s role in emergencies and everyday child protection, while machine learning algorithms help in the early detection of violence against women and children. However, these benefits of AI coexist with significant ethical concerns. Many systems reproduce and deepen gender bias based in the data they are trained on, and the underrepresentation of women in AI development further reinforces patriarchal and exclusionary outcomes. Plus, emerging harms such as AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and AI-driven grooming of minors raise serious concerns about the misuse of such technologies. This article explores both the transformative potential and the inherent risks of AI in women and children's welfare, highlighting the need for feminist, inclusive, and ethical frameworks to guide future development.