By PLCpoint
2022
The early years
Google says it has begun using the Monk Skin Tone Scale, developed by Harvard professor Ellis Monk, as a guide to evaluate its products. Monk's scale is comprised of 10 tones, compared to the more widely used Fitzpatrick model, which only uses six.
Tech's bias problems go far beyond skin tone. Doshi acknowledges that there is a lack of diversity of images on the internet. "The Web itself has had a history of bias in terms of who we take photos of, who we publish,"
Google's work with the Monk Scale is being done within its responsible AI team, the same unit that has been the center of controversy after the company ousted both of the team leaders, Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell.