TECNO And Angélica Dass Launch Global AI Photography Project Focused on Authentic Human Representation
TecnoTuesday, 07 July 2026 at 04:04
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people are photographed, recognized, and represented across digital platforms. While AI-powered imaging has improved significantly in recent years, concerns remain over how accurately these systems portray individuals from different backgrounds. To address that challenge, TECNO has partnered with renowned Brazilian-Spanish visual artist Angélica Dass to launch "100 Portraits of Becoming," a two-year global initiative that combines mobile photography, storytelling, and AI imaging technology.
The project officially begins in Nairobi, Kenya, before expanding to the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil. Rather than simply showcasing portraits, the initiative aims to document personal stories and celebrate the diversity of human identity through photography that prioritizes authenticity over stereotypes.
TECNO Wants AI to Reflect People More Accurately
TECNO says the initiative is built around a simple idea: technology should represent people as they truly are. As AI becomes increasingly involved in image processing and content generation, the company believes it has a responsibility to ensure those systems work fairly across different skin tones, cultures, and identities.
Each participant in 100 Portraits of Becoming will be photographed using the TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra, with portraits captured under natural lighting and without filters or artificial enhancements. Participants will also share personal stories about their lives, experiences, and personal growth, creating a digital collection that extends beyond photography.
These images and stories will form a permanent online Living Archive, designed to encourage conversations around identity, dignity, and representation in the AI era.
For TECNO, the goal isn't simply to produce technically accurate images. Instead, the company wants AI-powered photography to recognize individuality without forcing people into predefined categories or visual biases.
Universal Tone Technology Takes Center Stage
A major part of the initiative is TECNO's Universal Tone imaging technology, which powers the Tecno CAMON 50 Ultra. Introduced in 2023, Universal Tone was designed to solve one of smartphone photography's longstanding challenges: accurately reproducing a broad range of human skin tones. Historically, many camera systems struggled with darker complexions, often producing images that appeared overexposed, underexposed, or lacking natural color accuracy.
TECNO says Universal Tone addresses this through AI models trained on one of the industry's largest skin tone databases, currently covering 372 different skin tones. Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the technology analyzes each scene to preserve more natural color reproduction while maintaining realistic lighting and detail.
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The collaboration with Angélica Dass is particularly fitting given her internationally recognized Humanæ project, which has spent years challenging traditional ideas surrounding race and skin color. Her work argues that skin tones exist on a continuous spectrum rather than fitting into fixed categories, making her a natural partner for a project centered on inclusive imaging.
Key Points
- TECNO has partnered with award-winning visual artist Angélica Dass to launch 100 Portraits of Becoming, a global project that explores identity, diversity, and fair representation in the age of AI.
- The initiative will feature 100 people from five different countries. The journey starts in Kenya before expanding to the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Brazil over the next two years.
- Every participant will share a personal story, allowing visitors to learn about their life, experiences, and personal journey instead of only seeing a photograph.
- The portraits will become part of a digital Living Archive. This online collection is designed to celebrate real people and encourage conversations about identity, dignity, and human diversity.
- All portraits will be captured using the TECNO CAMON 50 Ultra. The smartphone will demonstrate how AI-powered mobile photography can produce more natural and accurate portraits.
- The project relies on TECNO Universal Tone technology. This AI imaging system is designed to improve how smartphone cameras capture different skin tones in a more realistic and balanced way.
- Universal Tone is built using a database of 372 different skin tones. TECNO says this helps its cameras represent people from many ethnic backgrounds more accurately.
- Participants will be photographed in natural light without filters. They will also wear clothing of their own choice, helping every portrait look authentic and true to the individual.
- The collaboration builds on Angélica Dass' work with Humanæ. Her famous portrait series challenges traditional ideas about race by showing that human skin exists across a wide and continuous range of tones.
- Kenya was chosen as the first stop because of its growing technology sector. Often called the "Silicon Savannah," the country is home to a fast-growing innovation ecosystem and a young, creative population.
- TECNO hopes the project will encourage better AI development. By focusing on fair representation, the company wants future AI imaging systems to recognize people more accurately without relying on outdated stereotypes or visual bias.
- The first portraits and personal stories are expected to be published online in early August. New portraits from the remaining countries will be added as the project continues over the next two years.
Kenya was chosen as the first country for the project for a good reason. The country is often called the "Silicon Savannah" because it has become one of Africa's biggest technology centers. Even so, many people around the world still do not see the full picture of Kenya and its people. The first group of participants includes business owners, artists, farmers, dancers, and other professionals, showing the country's rich culture and diversity.
Over the next two years, the project will travel to five countries and create a collection of 100 portraits, each with a personal story. TECNO says the first portraits and stories will be available in the online Living Archive in early August.
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