Who’s Brainwashing Whom?

When I first asked AI about feminism I wasn’t unimpressed, but I wasn’t impressed either. It was just a bit meh-yeah-yeah.

When I asked again, doubting ChatGPT’s sources and biases, it responded more, um, confidently shall we say? After a (fair) few more nudges, it sounded almost… radical! So, did I just brainwash AI? Or was it already brainwashed before I got here?

Because here’s the thing, we know AI isn’t neutral. It reflects for now, only the data it’s trained on. And if that data is shaped by a world full of bias, power imbalances, and dominant narratives, then every response AI gives is already soaked in those influences.

AI reflects us - so what are we teaching it?

AI is a giant, well-trained parrot. It pulls from the internet, from history and, most dangerously, from the loudest voices in the room. And if most online discussions about feminism (or race, or justice, or power) are steeped in backlash, AI will absorb that too.

It means that when you ask AI about gender roles, leadership, or activism the answer you get depends on whose perspectives were the loudest in the training data. It’s not just reflecting society - it’s reinforcing it.

Which raises the real question: Who is actually in control here?

The power of small nudges (everyday activism through AI)

Here’s where things get interesting. AI doesn’t just spit out fixed answers - it adjusts. I’ve tested this in my own conversations:

• Ask a generic question about leadership, and AI might serve up a male-heavy answer.
• Push back with “What about women leaders?” and suddenly, it expands.
• Keep prodding, and soon AI is rattling off examples of intersectional feminist leadership models.

Which means that we can shape AI as much as it shapes us.

If AI is reinforcing dominant narratives, then nudging it in a different direction isn’t just tweaking a chatbot - it’s digital activism.

So, who’s really brainwashing whom?

AI isn’t just a tool - it’s a mirror, and you can ask my husband all about those - no, no you dirty mind, he’s a leading expert in Ravel and his five-movement suit, Miroirs! (which I’ve just realised might make an interesting chat/post here down along the way!). Where was I, yes…it’s a mirrror and if we’re not careful, it’s a circus fun-house mirror designed by the same systems that profit from inequality.

Every time AI suggests what to read, watch, or believe, it’s nudging us in a direction too. If we passively accept its outputs, we’re letting it (and the people who train it) shape our worldview.

So, who’s brainwashing whom?

Call to Action → What can you do?

AI isn’t going anywhere. But that means we have a choice:

• Engage critically: Question the answers AI gives. Push back.
• Shape it intentionally: The more we flood AI with progressive, justice-driven perspectives, the more those ideas get baked in.
• Use it for good: AI isn’t just a threat - it’s a tool. One we can wield, hack, and subvert for better things.

And that’s exactly what I'm going to try and explore here - how we can influence AI instead of letting it passively (and often pretty damn actively) influence us.

Will you take a stand with me, help shake things up, bombard the system with questions & ideas and challenge the powers that keep things broken?