People perceive artificial intelligence (AI) systems as White even though these systems do not provide the perceptual cues from which race is typically inferred, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. These results suggest that people make judgments about AI that extend beyond their technical properties, which has implications for evaluations of AI output. Efforts to ensure that AI is deployed in ways that are impartial, equitable and free from discrimination have tended to focus on bias within the AI system that might arise from the training data or how the models are built.
However, even if AI systems are ‘de-biased’, people might nevertheless respond to them in biased ways. That a tool created in a racialized society can somehow exist outside of racialization once it’s built,” says study author Monica Gamez-Djokic. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Gamez-Djokic, M. & Waytz, A.
The perceived whiteness of artificial intelligence. Psychol. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000533 (2026) Nature Reviews Psychology https://www.nature.com/nrpsychol/ Richler, J. People perceive AI as White.
Nat Rev Psychol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-026-00634-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-026-00634-2
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