AI

L’Oréal taps IBM on AI model for cosmetic research, innovation

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February 3, 2025

L'Oreal is partnering with IBM to leverage IBM's GenAI tech and expertise to discover new insights in cosmetic formation data.

The partners will develop a custom AI foundation model focused on increasing the ability of L'Oreal research and innovation teams to boost consumer satisfaction, according to a press release.

Foundation models are a type of AI model trained on a broad set of unlabeled data, capable of performing various tasks and applying information from one situation to another. These models have significantly advanced the field of natural language processing technology over the past several years.

This effort will contribute to helping L'Oréal meet its L'Oréal for the Future's target of sourcing most of its product formulas based on bio-sourced materials and/or the circular economy by 2030.

"As part of our Digital Transformation Program, this partnership will extend the speed and scale of our innovation and reformulation pipeline, with products always reaching higher standards of inclusivity, sustainability, and personalization," Stéphane Ortiz, head of innovation métiers and product development, L'Oréal research and innovation, said in the release.

"This collaboration is a truly impactful application of generative AI, leveraging the power of technology and expertise for the good of the planet," Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, vice president Europe and Africa and Director IBM Research Zurich, said in the release. "At IBM, we believe in the power of purpose-built, customized AI to help transform businesses. Using IBM's latest AI technology, L'Oréal will be able to derive meaningful insights from their rich formula and product data to create a tailored AI model to help achieve their operational goals and continue creating high quality and sustainable products."

The creation of this AI model will use a large number of formulations and component data points to accelerate multiple tasks to be performed by L'Oréal, including the formulation of new products, reformulation of existing cosmetics and optimization for scale-up production — tools that will better equip L'Oréal's 4,000 researchers worldwide over the next several years.

L'Oréal has a broad portfolio of 37 international brands, 90,000 employees and20 research centers across 11 countries around the world.