TECNO’s Push For Inclusive Imaging

TECNO, a leader in smartphone technology, has launched the #ToneProud campaign to combat skin tone bias in AI-driven imaging systems. 

This initiative aims to promote inclusivity in imaging technology by ensuring accurate representation of diverse skin tones, especially in emerging markets often overlooked by larger tech players. 

268 Skin Tones Database: A Technological Milestone for Inclusive Imaging

The foundation of TECNO’s #ToneProud campaign is its new 268 skin tone database, a collection developed to improve how AI-driven imaging systems capture various skin tones. 

By assigning specific color codes to skin tones, TECNO is reducing bias in color accuracy, ensuring that all skin tones are rendered authentically. 

This database—the largest in the industry—was created in collaboration with color science experts and helps power TECNO’s Universal Tone technology, which enhances camera accuracy across the skin tone spectrum.

This campaign addresses findings from a 2018 MIT and Stanford study, which highlighted biases in skin tone representation within AI systems. 

TECNO’s #ToneProud is a direct response to this, spotlighting how research and scientific classification can advance AI to deliver unbiased imaging.

Global Voices Join the Movement

To amplify its message, TECNO’s campaign brings together international celebrities from diverse backgrounds, including Indonesian singer Anggun, Saudi Arabian filmmaker Fatima Al-Banawi, Nigerian musician Johnny Drille, and Polish actress Ewa Kępys. 

In a campaign film, each celebrity shares personal experiences of misrepresentation in digital imaging and the importance of inclusive technology. 

Anggun, for example, speaks on the campaign’s importance, sharing, “We’re all individual and beautiful in our own way. Accurate technology should support that.”

Embracing #ToneProud Worldwide

TECNO prompts individuals globally to discover their unique skin tone code through its site, 268toneproud.com, and join the conversation online using hashtags like #ToneProud and #UniversalTone. 

“We know that skin tone misrepresentation matters deeply, especially for our consumers in emerging markets,” says Jack Guo, General Manager of TECNO in a press release.

“#ToneProud is our commitment to fair representation and a call to recognize and celebrate every shade of humanity.”