Smartphone company Tecno has launched its #ToneProud campaign, which seeks to end skin tone bias in imaging technology, an increasingly important issue with the rise of generative AI.
According to a 2018 study from MIT and Stanford University, there is skin-tone bias in some commercial AI systems — a problem that will undoubtedly become worse with the widespread use of AI technology.
Chinese smartphone maker Tecno has therefore launched its #ToneProud campaign to raise awareness about skin tone diversity while introducing the company’s unique 268 skin tone database to consumers. The company says this expansive database of 268 skin tone patches allows TECNO Universal Tone’s algorithms to accurately detect, analyze, and render skin tones in a way that allows everyone to be truly seen in photos. It is a similar to the campaign Google launched back in 2022.
By assigning specific color codes to different skin tones with scientific classification in images, Tecno says it is not only addressing biases in skin tone color restoration and fine-tuning the accuracy of its Universal Tone technology for fair representation, but also helping consumers to understand and feel proud in the diversity of skin tones worldwide, encouraging them to take a stand against the lack of true representation with Tecno.
“Over many years, Tecno has attached great importance to consumer research, and so we understand that skin tone misrepresentation (and underrepresentation) is an issue of real significance for our users especially in the emerging markets,” Jack Guo, General Manager of Tecno, says.
“Through the #ToneProud campaign, we are standing with consumers, especially the misrepresented or underrepresented consumers, to make the case for greater inclusivity, while at the same time continuing to heavily invest in imaging R&D to innovate technologies to make a real impact on this problem.”
As part of its #ToneProud campaign, Tecno released a film featuring global celebrities of diverse skin tones, including Indonesian singer-songwriter Anggun, Saudi filmmaker and actress Fatima Al-Banawi, Nigerian singer-songwriter Johnny Drille, and Polish actress Ewa Kępys.
The film, released to launch the #ToneProud campaign, explores the theme of embracing one’s skin tone, featuring celebrities sharing their experiences of misrepresentation and expressing their belief that technology and photography should accurately reflect diverse skin tones and true colors.
To mark the launch of the #ToneProud campaign, TECNO is calling on consumers worldwide to celebrate skin tone diversity and show that they are proud of their own skin tones. The company is inviting people to discover their own skin tone code at 268toneproud.com.
Image credits: Tecno