Reinvention mediates impacts of skin tone bias in algorithms: implications for technology diffusion

Two studies examine how skin tone bias in image recognition algorithms impacts users’ adoption and usage of image recognition technology. We employed a diffusion of innovations framework to explore perceptions of compatibility, complexity, observability, relative advantage, and reinvention to determine their influence on participants' utilization of image recognition algorithms. Despite being more likely to encounter algorithm bias, individuals with darker skin tones perceived image recognition algorithms as having greater levels of compatibility and relative advantage, being more observable, and less complex and thus used them more extensively compared to those with lighter skin tones. Individuals with darker skin tones also displayed higher levels of reinvention behaviors, suggesting a potential adaptive response to counteract algorithm biases.