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Google told this week that it is creating an industry-standard method option to classify skin tone, which, according to technology researchers and skin experts, will help eliminate bias against people over the color of the product.

Google currently uses a 6-color scale known as Fitzpatrick skin type (FST), which skin experts have used since the 1970s. Tech companies now rely on this system to ensure whether products such as facial recognition systems or smartwatch heart-rate sensors perform equally well in skin tones to classify people and measure.

The emphasis on leaving FST

Although critics say the FST, which includes four categories for “white” skin and one category each for “black” and “brown,” this method ignores the difference between people’s skin color. Researchers at the US Department of Homeland Security recommended leaving FST to evaluate facial recognition during a Federal Technology Standards Conference last October as it poorly represents the color range in diverse populations.

In response to questions about FST, Google said it is following better measures. “We are working on alternate solution, inclusionary measures that can be helpful in the design of our products, and we will work collaboratively with scientists, medical experts, and organizations that work with people of color.” the company stated and refused to give further details.

The controversy is part of a large calculation on racism and diversity in the tech industry, where sectors like finance have a large number of whites in the workforce. Ensuring that technology works well for people with all skin colors as well as different ages and genders, new products that are powered by AI are now being valued, as well as used in sensitive and finance sectors such as health care and law enforcement.

What is FST

The Fitzpatrick scale (also known as the Fitzpatrick skin test or even the Fitzpatrick phototyping measure) is a quantitative categorization for human skin tone. It was invented in 1975 by United states dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick as a method of estimating the sensitivity of various types of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light. This was initially based on skin pigmentation to quantify the right dose of UVA for PUVA treatment, however, when preliminary research based solely on eyes and hair color contributed in too high UVA doses in some cases, it was modified on the basis of patient’s reports as to how their skin reacts to the sun; it was widened to a larger variety of skin types.

Better palettes are available

Companies know that their products can be faulty for groups that are underrepresented in research and testing data. Many types of products offer a much richer palette than FST. Crayola launched 24 skin tone crayons last year, and Metal Inc’s Barbie fashionista Doll has covered nine tones this year.

Google announced in February that cameras on some Android phones could measure pulse rate through fingers. The average reading will be 1.8% regardless of users’ light or dark skin, the company also confirms this.

The company later issued a similar guarantee that skin type meat will not specifically affect the outcome of a feature to filter the background on video conference, nor going to affect the upcoming web tool which identifies skin conditions, which is colloquially known as derm assist. These are the results of 6-tone FST testing.

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Source: Google is Working on Leaving FST Measure

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