The normative body and ‘stupid AI’: challenging compulsory able-bodiedness in human-AI interaction

This research examines, during the human-AI interaction process, how generative AI’s depiction of human bodies reflects and perpetuates able-bodied norms, positioning disabled or grotesque bodies as “errors.” Through a feminist and disability studies lens and employing archival research and visual analysis, this research challenges traditional notions of bodily normativity, advocating for inclusivity in AI-generated imagery. It underscores how labeling nonconformity as an error perpetuates able-bodied standards while erasing the visibility and autonomy of disabled bodies. By critiquing generative AI’s role in reinforcing societal norms, this study calls for reimagining human-AI interactions with a shift in perception and advocates for an approach that neither devalues nor excludes disabled bodies.