When it comes to AI, much has been made of its democratizing potential. Many proponents believe that access to affordable models will act as a leveler, allowing smaller enterprises to innovate, test, and gain insights in ways previously that were previously much more challenging.
But, according to Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, chief innovation and prospective officer at L’Oréal, the reality may be more complicated. “We operate in a buoyant beauty market because it has never been easier to create a new brand,” she says. “You have AI inventing images and brand names, vendors providing formulas and molecules at a very fast pace—but you also have a lot of brands dying. Every two years you have a new brand and then it disappears.”
