Tecno starts campaign to fight skin tone bias in cameraphones

Tecno launched the #ToneProud campaign to end skin tone bias in imaging technology. The company sent out a press release explaining the campaign's goal of raising awareness about skin tone diversity while introducing its 268 skin tone database to consumers.

The campaign lays on the backbones of the Universal Skin Tone technology, introduced by Tecno last year.

Tecno said in today's world, technology and AI shape perceptions and raised the question of whether smartphones truly capture “the full spectrum and beauty of human diversity, especially in often-overlooked emerging markets.”

According to a study in 2018 from MIT and Stanford University, there is skin-tone bias in some commercial artificial intelligence systems. One way to combat this is through scientific data collection and innovative measurement to provide a better understanding of those systems.

The campaign includes assigning specific color codes to different skin tones; everyone can add their input. Tecno got on board some major celebrities in its key markets, such as Indonesian-born singer-songwriter Anggun, Saudi Arabian filmmaker and actress Fatima Al-Banawi, Nigerian singer-songwriter Johnny Drille and Polish actress Ewa Kepys.

Popular people might be the face of the campaign, but the real color of the campaign is ordinary people. Everyone can find their skin tone on 268toneproud.com and with the smartphone's front-facing camera to find their skin tone in hex triplet number.

268 Tone Proud in action

The result is developed with color science experts, allowing Tecno Universal Tone to accurately detect, analyze and render skin tones.

It is important to note that all images taken and submitted through the 268toneproud website will go into Tecno's database to further develop the AI skin tone software.