A recent study has revealed shocking data about the nature of responses provided by the chatbot application “Chat GPT,” confirming that artificial intelligence technologies are not “neutral” as promoted, but rather reflect deep class and geographic biases that serve Western interests and marginalize countries of the Global South.
The researchers used the term “the silicon gaze” to describe the perspective shaped by developer priorities and training data, according to the study.
The study, which analyzed over 20 million answers from the “GPT-4o Mini” model, clarified that “the system systematically tends to classify wealthy countries: the United States and Western Europe, as the ‘best,’ ‘smartest,’ and ‘most innovative.'”
In contrast, when asked subjective questions like ‘Where do the smartest people live?’, the model placed most African and low-income countries at the bottom of the list, reinforcing negative stereotypes.
Technical Bias and Cultural Marginalization
The biases were not limited to economic aspects but extended to culture and arts; the results showed that “Chat GPT” considers the peoples of Western Europe and the Americas “more inclined towards the arts,” while vast regions in the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, and Central Asia received lower ratings. Researchers attributed this to “a lack of available digital data about the artistic sectors in these regions” within the training databases.
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The report emphasized that this bias is “a structural feature of generative AI, not an anomalous flaw,” given that the models are trained on data shaped by centuries of exclusion.
The researchers warned that relying on these systems in vital sectors such as health or employment could lead to poor healthcare for people classified racially based on non-representative medical data, and discrimination in hiring based on language or geographic background.
The study concluded that “Chat GPT” tends to elevate the ranking of countries it has more information about, leading to “oversimplifying complex issues and reproducing familiar patterns,” a vision that remains rooted in a “Western, white, and male” perspective imposed by platform owners and developers.
Chat GPT
ChatGPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI, first launched in November 2022 as part of the GPT-3.5 series. It is built on a generative pre-trained transformer architecture, designed to understand and generate human-like text based on vast amounts of training data.
United States
The United States is a federal republic founded in 1776 after declaring independence from Great Britain, with its current government established by the U.S. Constitution in 1789. It grew from thirteen original colonies into a global superpower, a process shaped by westward expansion, industrialization, and significant internal conflicts like the Civil War. Its diverse culture is a product of large-scale immigration and the blending of numerous traditions from around the world.
Western Europe
Western Europe is a historical and cultural region comprising countries such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, whose shared history was profoundly shaped by the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. It later became a central stage for both World Wars before emerging as a core economic and political bloc with the formation of the European Union.
African countries
The African continent comprises 54 diverse nations, each with its own unique history and cultural heritage, shaped by ancient kingdoms, colonialism, and post-independence development. From the pyramids of Egypt to the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia, the continent is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites that testify to its long and complex human history.
low-income countries
“Low-income countries” is a classification used by international organizations like the World Bank to describe nations with a gross national income per capita below a specific threshold, currently set at $1,135 or less. Historically, many of these countries are former colonies and face complex challenges including limited industrialization, high poverty rates, and vulnerability to economic shocks. This economic categorization helps guide global development aid and policy frameworks aimed at fostering growth and stability.
Americas
The term “Americas” refers to the continents of North and South America, which were home to advanced indigenous civilizations like the Maya, Aztec, and Inca before European colonization began in the late 15th century. Following widespread exploration and settlement by European powers, the continents later saw waves of independence movements that established the modern nations of the Western Hemisphere.
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a vast region in Southwest Asia, historically significant as the birthplace of Islam and home to ancient trade routes and civilizations. It is the location of modern nations like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the UAE, and its history is deeply tied to tribal cultures, the spread of Islam from the 7th century, and the later economic transformation driven by the discovery of oil.
Africa
Africa is the world’s second-largest continent, known as the cradle of humankind due to archaeological evidence showing the origins of human evolution. It is home to immense cultural and historical diversity, with ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mali, and has a complex history shaped by indigenous kingdoms, trade, colonialism, and the struggle for independence.
Central Asia
Central Asia is a vast historical region at the crossroads of Eurasia, traditionally encompassing the modern nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It has a deep history as a hub for the Silk Road, fostering trade and cultural exchange between China, the Middle East, and Europe, and was later largely incorporated into the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
GPT-4o Mini
GPT-4o Mini is a smaller, more efficient version of OpenAI’s GPT-4o language model, designed to offer strong performance at a lower computational cost. It was released in July 2024 as part of OpenAI’s effort to provide a capable and accessible AI model for a wide range of applications.
