AI algorithms show gender bias towards traditional trades, study claims

New research by Checkatrade has uncovered ethnic and gender bias in generative AI tools towards people in traditional trades, repeatedly failing to depict women or ethnic minorities as builders, plumbers or electricians.  

Language processing apps, such as Midjourney and ChatGPT, were repeatedly prompted to create images and stories about tradespeople, and 98% of the results depicted a white man.  

For example, when prompted to show ‘a builder’, the results from Midjourney were exclusively white males. 

Given the text-to-image AI tool is known to produce different images from the same repeated prompt, the request was repeated on 40 occasions, showing white males each time. The prompt for electricians produced similar results, this time depicting just one woman out of the 40 prompts. 

Text-to-text prompt app ChatGPT produced similar results. When asked 10 times to ‘tell me a short story’ about specific trade jobs, on nine out of 10 occasions these were about men.

This latest research into AI tools follows the publication of Checkatrade’s Trade Skills Index 2023, which highlighted issues around diversity in traditional trades.  

The report found that nine out of 10 trade apprenticeships are occupied by young men, with males making up the majority of the main workforce too.  

In addition to the gender gap, it also found that the vast majority – more the 90% – of construction apprentices are white. The figure for 2021-22 has increased from 84% for 2020-21.

The study also found the UK will need almost one million new plumbers, bricklayers and other tradespeople by 2032 to keep pace with demand.  

To help plug the gap, Checkatrade has launched the Get In programme to encourage more young people, including girls and those from ethnic minorities, into trades careers.  

The campaign is being led by Melanie Waters, managing director of Get In and Trade-Up, and spearheaded by Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe and chair of Checkatrade.  

Waters said: “The fact that these AI tools favour depicting tradespeople as white men encapsulates the problem our industry faces as effectively as any statistic could. As AI is based upon gathering current and past content, it is never going to change unless the whole industry changes dramatically. 

“The industry must now put boosting diversity among its workforce right at the top of its priority list, and that means asking difficult questions and looking outside the traditional recruitment methods. 

“The Trade Skills Index Report found that not only are we lacking women in leadership positions, as are various industries, we’re lacking female representation all together. 

“Through our Get In programme, we’re aiming to bridge that gap by providing opportunities to young people, regardless of their age or race.”

Through the programme, young people’s CVs will be captured and connected with opportunities within Checkatrade’s membership base, as well as large trade employers and SME trade businesses.   

For more information about the programme, click here.