AI: Teams makeup filter lightens dark eyes – 09/14/2023 – Tech

Maybelline NY, from the L’Óreal Group, began offering, at the end of July, free virtual makeup to corporate users of Microsoft Teams. Interested women can try to beautify themselves with one click, without resorting to cosmetics or spending time in front of the mirror, but everyday use is still disappointing.

The filter showed flaws with movements and some dimensions of the face, in a test carried out by Sheet. Virtual lipstick, for example, may not follow the movement of the lips or may not fit well on larger mouths. The makeup disappears when the face is no longer in the center of the frame.

Another problem is the unsolicited whitening of dark eyes. The reporter from Sheet Rebeca Oliveira tested the Teams filter and ended up with gray irises. “I seem to become a bit alien.”

For the communications manager of the internet human rights organization Coding Rights, Erly Guedes, there is a lack of concern about covering all racially diverse people in the process of building these filters that simulate makeup.

“When the filters produced by a company only gray out dark eyes, in an attempt to whiten them, we can, yes, say that there is a racist algorithmic bias. On the other hand, green or blue eyes are recognized and do not undergo changes, as they are considered beautiful and suitable for the filters”, says Guedes, who researches digital media, identity and communication at UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense).

According to Coding Rights, it is necessary to broaden the perception of the needs and complexities of the real Brazilian population so that filters like these can consider various shades of black skin and beautify without whitening.

In a statement, Maybelline states that the product is in the testing phase and will be improved based on user feedback. Free accounts and guests in Teams meetings do not have access to the new feature, only companies that pay for the Office for Organizations package.

Watch the test carried out by Sheet:

Artificial intelligence for aesthetic purposes uses machine learning to recognize facial patterns. These so-called computer vision models are subject to racial biases due to there being more white people in image banks.

The virtual corrector that promises to soften facial expressions worked worse on reporter Paola Ferreira Rosa, a black woman, than on Giovanna Stael, a white journalist from TV Folha.

For Giovanna, the test showed little variation between the available looks. Paola said the filter had little effect on her eyelashes.

When contacted, L’Óreal and Microsoft state that they developed the Maybelline filter in partnership with the Geena Davis Foundation. “We considered a wide variety of biotypes, including different skin tones, face shapes, among other particularities. To ensure greater accuracy, more than 70 thousand images were tested.”

According to Maybelline NY, the filters offer natural and bold looks — there are 12 options. Changes can be made to mouths, eyes, eyelashes and face. For the eyebrow, there is no recourse.

The filters were created based on Maybelline’s virtual fitting room, which allows testing with the company’s entire cosmetics portfolio — there are foundations, concealers, mascaras and lipsticks. The technical responsible for the project is the augmented reality company Modiface.

To access the filter, you must have the Teams application on your computer. To download it, you need to go to this Microsoft website and download the “work or school” version.

Microsoft and L’Óreal state that they request access to the user’s images only to apply the makeup filter. “The data is not saved. Therefore, the images are deleted immediately after use.”

With the correct application, the user should access their work account. You can activate the filter before or after the meeting.

BEFORE THE MEETING

• Click “Join meeting”
• Then, in “Video Effects”
• Then under “More Video Effects”
• Scroll down in the right pane and select “Maybelline” under the “Filters” category
• See the 12 available options and select your look
• It is possible to carry out tests before making a final choice
• When you are satisfied, click “Join Now”

DURING THE MEETING:

• Click “More…” at the top of the meeting screen
• Then, in “Video Effects”
• Scroll down in the right pane and select “Maybelline” under the “Filters” category
• Keep scrolling to see all the available options and select your favorite look
• Click “Preview” to check out the selected look without others seeing it yet, or click “Apply” to activate your favorite look