UN Promotion of Abortion and Gender Ideology Through Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By C-Fam Staff | September 10, 2025

The United Nations is devoting increasing attention to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN advocates for “ethical governance” of AI, leads research on the intersection of AI and human rights, builds “capacity on utilizing AI tools to support civil society organizations and other stakeholders,”[i] and mobilizes stakeholder partnerships.

Many parts of the UN system have strayed from their original mandates by expanding their understanding of human rights and “ethics” to include “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights” (SRHR) in their SDG and human rights programming. SRHR is understood by the UN system to include access to abortion services, comprehensive sexuality education, and affirmation of gender ideology. However, SRHR is not accepted UN language in any negotiated treaty or resolution, and does not have an agreed definition by member states.  Nevertheless, UN agencies and the Secretariat are actively using AI to promote SRHR, under the broader SDG and human rights umbrella, including, and perhaps especially, in countries where public opinion is largely conservative on these topics.

UN agencies use AI to monitor and analyze societal attitudes toward contraception, abortion access, and sexual identity in the global South and target individuals with information that is intended to change their views on these topics. UN agencies support the development of apps and online platforms featuring AI bots that answer questions on SRHR and sexuality education, thus flooding the information space with a single-sided view on these controversial topics.

The purpose of this factsheet is to showcase several UN-led initiatives that promote SRHR and gender ideology through AI, despite the clear lack of consensus among member states that it should do so. Apart from concrete examples of problematic programs, the factsheet also features communication from the UN Secretariat and UN agencies showcasing a system-wide commitment to ramping up efforts on AI and SRH.

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[i] https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/partnering-for-gender-responsive-ai-003.pdf

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