TECNO launches #ToneProud campaign to raise awareness about skin tone bias in imaging technology

Despite how far we’ve progressed as a society, there are still many issues plaguing humankind, such as skin tone bias. But it isn’t just in humans that we need to be concerned about, but also in technology. This is why TECNO has announced its new #ToneProud campaign to bring awareness about the potential technical biases in imaging technology.

Why technology, you might ask? There was a study conducted back in 2018 by MIT and Stanford University which found that in some commercial AI systems, skin tone bias was found. These systems seemed to have an issue where they could not correctly identify darker skinned individuals, and also mis-gendered women.

It’s hard to say if this is a technical issue or if maybe some bias might have been created why developing these systems, but this is something TECNO is hoping to address with its #ToneProud campaign. The campaign basically showcases the company’s database of 268 unique skin tones based on scientific classifications.

This database is part of TECNO’s Universal Tone technology that was developed by color science experts from universities around the world. The idea is that it will help create more precise detection and rendering of skin tones when it comes to imaging technology, ensuring that no matter your skin tone will be accurately represented.