During an interview with Reuters, Alphabet Inc’s Google shared a new development that they are working on to develop a measure to the industry-standard method for classifying skin tones.
Technology researchers and dermatologists conclude that it is inadequate for assessing whether products are biased against people of color.
Since the 1970s, dermatologists have been using a six-color scale known as Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST), and now tech companies are also making the most of it for measuring whether products such as facial recognition systems or smartwatch heart-rate sensors perform equally across skin tones.
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Some analysts believe that the FST scale is disregarding diversity among people and their skin tone as it includes four categories for white skin tone and one for black and brown each.
Moreover, many researchers have also disagreed with the FST scale in failing to represent the color range in a diverse population.
As FST offers a limited scale for darker skin, therefore, the technology might be suitable for golden brown skin.
In this regard, Google said, “We are working on alternative, more inclusive, measures that could be useful in the development of our products”.
When using video calling tools or other technology, have you experienced issues possibly related to your skin tone or other personal attributes? We want to hear from you https://t.co/EFne9LSYe0 pic.twitter.com/FM79em2WNj
— Reuters Tech News (@ReutersTech) June 7, 2021
Google confirmed that it will team up with scientific and medical experts, community groups working on skin color to design a useful tool.
The tech industry is facing controversy as the skin tone of the workers is white compared to the other sectors and many believe that it reflects racism in the industry.
The new technology will ensure that all skin colors, irrespective of their age and gender, hold great significance as new products, often powered by artificial intelligence (AI), extend into sensitive and regulated areas such as healthcare and law enforcement.
Many believe that this initiative is a result of the thoughts of the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alphabet Inc, Sundar Pichai, who is an Indian-American.