Medical imaging databases

AI skin cancer detection tools are getting better – but only for people with light skin

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/757617/original/file-20260902-50-8vfzmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C1%2C6720%2C4480&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Melanoma and other skin conditions can look different in people with darker versus lighter skin – but image databases include many more examples from people with lighter skin. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/closeup-of-dermatologist-examining-patient-royalty-free-image/2186297579">SeventyFour/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine you’re getting out of the shower one morning and you notice a mole on your thigh that you’ve never seen before. It’s reddish brown, bumpy and surprisingly large. Is it a benign mole, or is it <a href="https://theconversation.com/sunscreen-wouldnt-have-saved-bob-marley-from-melanoma-and-it-wont-help-other-dark-skinned-people-116