Cameras have long made many people of color appear abnormally light or dark in photographs. And that bias has crept into modern digital imaging products and algorithms. That’s where Google comes into the picture, launching a project to reengineer the face-detection software used in Google’s cameras and imaging tools, and improve its performance in a wider spectrum of lighting conditions. “Photos are symbols of what and who matter to us collectively,” says Florian Koenigsberger, image equity lead at google. “So it’s critical that they work equitably for everyone.” To ensure the AI-powered post-processing software would deliver, the tech giant called in the experts: photographers, cinematographers, artists, and colorists hailed for their stunning and accurate representation of people of color. “We knew that building for the community meant we had to acknowledge our own gaps and learn from the folks who know this issue best,” Koenigsberger says. The company then implemented a 10-shade...