L’Oréal will use IBM’s generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology to develop cutting-edge, environmentally friendly cosmetics.
As part of the collaboration, a custom AI foundation model will be created to help L’Oréal’s R&I teams produce more environmentally friendly formulations with renewable raw ingredients. Consequently, this program aims to decrease material and energy waste.
This endeavor, which has been called the first formulation-focused AI model in the cosmetics business, offers a preview of a time when innovative technology will propel ecologically friendly solutions.
“As part of our Digital Transformation Program, this partnership will extend the speed and scale of our innovation and reformulation pipeline, with products consistently reaching higher standards of inclusivity, sustainability, and personalization,” stated Stéphane Ortiz, Head of Innovation Métiers & Product Development at L’Oréal R&I.
AI and beauty: A perfect match
The firms want to open up new avenues for sustainability and cosmetic innovation by combining IBM’s AI technology with L’Oréal’s knowledge of beauty science. Although AI is widely known for its ability to customize and personalize items, a deeper exploration of its potential to create formulations that are sustainable and renewable highlights a larger ecological goal.
“Building on years of unique beauty science expertise and data structuring, this major alliance with IBM is opening a new exciting era for our innovation and development process,” said Matthieu Cassier, Chief Transformation & Digital Officer at L’Oréal R&I.
This partnership relies on foundation models as its technological foundation. Large datasets are used to train these AI systems, which allows them to execute a variety of tasks and apply what they have learned to other applications.
IBM has expanded their use cases beyond text, including applications in chemistry, geographical data, and time series analysis, even though these models are arguably best recognized for revolutionizing natural language processing (NLP).
In this case, a huge library of cosmetic formulations and raw material components will be processed by the unique AI model being created for L’Oréal. The methodology will speed up important activities for the company’s R&D teams, including developing new goods, reformulating current ones, and scaling up for manufacturing.
“This partnership is a genuinely significant use of generative AI, harnessing the strength of technology and knowledge for the benefit of the world,” stated Alessandro Curioni, Director at IBM Research Zurich and IBM Fellow and VP for Europe and Africa.
“At IBM, we firmly believe that customized, purpose-built AI can revolutionize enterprises. With IBM’s most recent artificial intelligence technology, L’Oréal will be able to extract valuable insights from their extensive formula and product data to develop a customized AI model that will support their operational objectives and enable them to keep producing high-quality, environmentally friendly goods.
The collaboration’s potential to enhance knowledge of the behavior of renewable ingredients in cosmetic formulations is among its most intriguing aspects.
“This collaboration between highly specialized knowledge in artificial intelligence and cosmetics aims to revolutionize cosmetic formulation,” stated Guilhaume Leroy-Méline, IBM Distinguished Engineer and CTO of IBM Consulting France. It emphasizes sustainability and variety, embodying the ethos of AI-augmented research.
For IBM, this partnership reflects its broader strategy to extend AI applications into industries requiring bespoke solutions. As Curioni pointed out, custom AI has the potential to reshape businesses on multiple levels.
By co-developing this bespoke formulation model, IBM and L’Oréal are setting the stage for a beauty industry that prizes both sustainability and cutting-edge innovation. If successful, the partnership could very well serve as a blueprint for other industries looking to bring AI’s transformative potential to bear on sustainability efforts.
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