“Skin” is analogized to milk, marble, cheese, wax, and snow. At SIGGRAPH, skin means white skin. Authors often imply that their models also work on dark skin, but never show it. Post-George Floyd, researchers start grudgingly adding awful-looking Black skin examples to the ends of their papers. 2/

This is mind-blowing... Amazing work :)

Theodore Kim@theodore-kim.bsky.social · 3mo ago

SIGGRAPH goes to #FAccT2026! Congrats to my co-authors @posada.website, @avmenon.bsky.social and @bsky.alexaschor.com We analyzed every SIGGRAPH, ToG, and SIGGRAPH Asia paper from 1974-2024 to see how race is imagined in graphics research. The results were not good. arxiv.org/abs/2605.14835 1/

SIGGRAPH goes to #FAccT2026! Congrats to my co-authors @posada.website, @avmenon.bsky.social and @bsky.alexaschor.com We analyzed every SIGGRAPH, ToG, and SIGGRAPH Asia paper from 1974-2024 to see how race is imagined in graphics research. The results were not good. arxiv.org/abs/2605.14835 1/

The Racial Character of Computer Graphics Research

Computer graphics algorithms for generating photorealistic imagery are widely perceived to be universal, and capable of conjuring anything that a filmmaker or game designer can imagine. However, recen...

arxiv.org

Happy to launch monkscale.com — the home for the Monk Skin Tone Scale. A quick hub for information about the MST, research using the MST, studies about the MST, clinical and tech deployments of the MST, news coverage, and standards adoption across the FDA, ISO, EU AI Act, etc. #MonkSkinToneScale

Excited to share news about Monk Skin Tone Scale - Spatial Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (MST-SFDS). 🧵 MST-SFDS anchors each tone of the MST in chromophore-specific spectroscopy — absorption (μ_a) and reduced scattering (μ_s') coefficients at the wavelength bands where melanin and hemoglobin live.

Holy shit this is amazing???

Ellis Monk@ellismonk.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A real honor to have this piece written about my work with the Monk Skin Tone Scale. My hope is that momentum keeps building and we can eventually live in a world where we can expect technology to work for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/live...

This is fucking incredible work.

Ellis Monk@ellismonk.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A real honor to have this piece written about my work with the Monk Skin Tone Scale. My hope is that momentum keeps building and we can eventually live in a world where we can expect technology to work for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/live...

Excited to share news about Monk Skin Tone Scale - Spatial Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (MST-SFDS). 🧵 MST-SFDS anchors each tone of the MST in chromophore-specific spectroscopy — absorption (μ_a) and reduced scattering (μ_s') coefficients at the wavelength bands where melanin and hemoglobin live.

A real honor to have this piece written about my work with the Monk Skin Tone Scale. My hope is that momentum keeps building and we can eventually live in a world where we can expect technology to work for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/live...

Lives saved by sociologist’s fix for skin tone bias

A two-dollar badge is saving lives in hospitals around the world. The product, groundbreaking but simple, is a scale of colors that reflects a more complete range of human skin tones. Developed by Pro...

current.fas.harvard.edu

A real honor to have this piece written about my work with the Monk Skin Tone Scale. My hope is that momentum keeps building and we can eventually live in a world where we can expect technology to work for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/live...

Lives saved by sociologist’s fix for skin tone bias

A two-dollar badge is saving lives in hospitals around the world. The product, groundbreaking but simple, is a scale of colors that reflects a more complete range of human skin tones. Developed by Pro...

current.fas.harvard.edu

I have some very exciting news to share: 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿 (𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗔) has been built by the @futureoflife.org under the leadership of Taylor Jones! Here's the tool: explorer.artificialintelligenceact.eu/en/. Do test it out (in your own language) and let us know what you think.

For the past few years I've worked with the FDA and International Standards Organization (ISO) to re-write guidance for pulse oximetry. We tested 34 pulse oximeters against the new FDA and ISO standards I helped write, which require the Monk Skin Tone Scale. 1/34 devices passed the FDA rules.

Pretty amazing use of the Monk Skin Tone Scale. They replaced a bilirubin detector (expensive) with my scale and a ruler ($9). Over 900 babies screened for jaundice. 0 deaths. Due to enhanced screening using the Bili-ruler, powered by the Monk Skin Tone Scale. www.the-star.co.ke/health/2026-...

Simple Sh1,200 tool turns tide on newborn jaundice deaths

The Bili Ruler is affordable and scalable, making it suitable for use in lower-level facilities

the-star.co.ke

Nothing like some good news amidst all the craziness. The PBS documentary I participated in, Forgotten Hero: Walter White, won a Writer's Guild of America award for the Documentary category. Congrats to Michelle Smawley and her team! www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ Top Writers Guild Awards

'The Pitt,' 'The Studio' and 'Dying for Sex' were among the TV winners at the Roy Wood Jr.-hosted ceremony, held Sunday night in New York.

hollywoodreporter.com

Featured in this article about the changing tides in the struggle for responsible AI. apnews.com/article/arti...

Tech industry tried reducing AI's pervasive bias. Now Trump wants to end its 'woke AI' efforts

Artificial intelligence technology that works well for the world’s billions of people of color was a business imperative for Google when the company asked sociologist Ellis Monk to help make its AI pr...

apnews.com

Featured in this article about the changing tides in the struggle for responsible AI. apnews.com/article/arti...

Tech industry tried reducing AI's pervasive bias. Now Trump wants to end its 'woke AI' efforts

Artificial intelligence technology that works well for the world’s billions of people of color was a business imperative for Google when the company asked sociologist Ellis Monk to help make its AI pr...

apnews.com

Ken Griffey Jr took this photo

Please nominate a (or your) book by March 31 for the 2025 IPM OUTSTANDING BOOK AWARD (published 2022, 2023, or 2024) Send a brief nomination letter to (and have the book publisher contact) Ellis Monk (emonk@fas.harvard.edu) @ellismonk.bsky.social /2

a drawing of a girl hugging a pink book by debbie oh

Alt: A drawing of a girl hugging a book and being happy

media.tenor.com

Perspective: New FDA guidance for pulse oximeters aims to reduce disparities in device performance related to skin pigment. https://ja.ma/4kssFeE #MedSky

It's been an honor to work with Dr. Lipnick & OpenOximetry on skin tone and pulse oximetry. Really great to see this perspective on the new FDA guidance published in @jama.com Using ITA from machines & the Monk Skin Tone Scale will ensure better skin tone representation in pulse oximetry.

JAMA@jama.com · last yr.

Perspective: New FDA guidance for pulse oximeters aims to reduce disparities in device performance related to skin pigment. https://ja.ma/4kssFeE #MedSky

Glad to see this finally launched. Google Shopping and Virtual Try-On powered by the Monk Skin Tone Scale. www.glossy.co/beauty/googl...

Google bulks up its AI shopping capabilities to allow virtual try-ons of makeup and clothing

With consumers growing accustomed to using artificial intelligence to shop, Google unveils three new artificial intelligence features allowing fashion and beauty consumers to virtually try-on trending...

glossy.co

One last plug for this Walter White documentary I'm in. Debuts tonight on PBS at 9pm ET. www.pbs.org/wgbh/america...

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP | American Experience | PBS

The story of civil rights hero Walter White — one of the most influential Black men in mid-century America and leader of the NAACP from 1929 to 1955, yet one of the least known figures in civil rights...

pbs.org

Excited to see this PBS documentary on Walter White, that I helped with, coming out soon. Debuts Feb. 25th. www.pbs.org/wgbh/america...

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP | American Experience | PBS

The story of civil rights hero Walter White — one of the most influential Black men in mid-century America and leader of the NAACP from 1929 to 1955, yet one of the least known figures in civil rights...

pbs.org

So nice to see the Monk Skin Tone Scale being used for this important task. There are many ways skin tone is implicated in health disparities. www.ctvnews.ca/london/artic...

Nursing student advocates for more inclusive diagnosis of bedsores

A third year nursing student is dedicating her time and effort toward advocating for the adoption of a more inclusive system for diagnosing pressure injuries in darker skinned people.

ctvnews.ca

Lem warned us decades ago about the deluge of low quality information we'd all find ourselves drowning in. One thing to consider amidst the rise of podcasts, influencers, etc.: Honesty and sincerity are not substitutes for expertise.

Always good to reflect on the unfortunate truth that there all sorts of discoveries we'll never witness due to the finicky and sometimes regressive nature of peer review and hollow demands to do research attractive enough to get grant funding. #NobelPrize #Kariko