Google grant will help computers detect gender balance and stereotyping in movies and TV

Google has funded plenty of research and humanitarian projects, and now it's putting some of its money towards figuring out how to automate sociological research. As part of its $23 million in new Global Impact Awards, Google announced $1.2 million in funding for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

The eight-year-old Institute takes a research-based approach towards increasing representation and decreasing stereotyping of women and girls in film and TV, building a massive database of how many female characters appear in scenes, how often they speak, and how often they are sexualized compared to men. As one might suspect, the results aren't great for women and girls — the Institute concludes that in family films, for example, there are about three male characters for every female one, and women are less likely overall to be shown working or even given a speaking role.