artificial intelligence - Why are AI systems almost always feminine?

I'm curious about this, as to why most of the AI systems found in spaceships and other "advanced" technologies tend to be more female-oriented.

Female-oriented as in, the entirety of the ship/system is controlled by a female AI. Good examples would include Cortana, from the HALO series, Gordon Freeman's HEV suit. Many movies also do this, where the onboard computer system has a feminine voice. The only male AI system I know of is HAL (Space Odyssey 2001), and even then, his voice isn't entirely male (more robotic than anything).

IF anything, is this a trend that's been going on for decades? Is this something recent? Why are most AI systems feminine?

Answer

I don't see any all-over gender bias in AI characters generally.
Boats and ships always get the feminine pronoun, that wouldn't change for spaceships. That would bias your AI selection. Also, various female stereotypes tailored to a primarily male audience come into play, for example, men generally think a female voice is more pleasant. A female AI will not trigger subconscious male-male dominance games. This article from CNN goes into some detail: "Why computer voices are mostly female" by Brandon Griggs, October 21, 2011. This should answer the underlying question.

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