Using different formats and models, artificial intelligence is expanding into all fields. In medicine, for example, its applications range from early diagnosis to designing treatment plans, reducing the development time of new drugs or assisting in the operating theatre. Many large companies are already making use of this technology to create personalised content, breathe new life into archived content, analyse consumer data and even predict future consumer behaviour.
How far has AI come?
AI is becoming mainstream, but not in all countries equally, as the level of implementation varies from country to country. An IBM report from May 2022 shows how China and India are leading the way in terms of AI implementation (in blue).
(Image extracted from IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022, 2022)
This, coupled with, or perhaps caused by, a greater acceptance of AI in some countries or regions than others, is possibly why the uses of artificial intelligence are more commercially visible depending on which part of the world we are in.
AI in Asian cosmetics
Especially in cosmetics, many chains are already implementing the use of AI to offer personalised experiences and products. In Korea, for example, there are already a large number of shops offering AI skin analysis to recommend the most appropriate treatment for their customers.
Taiwan is also exploring the use of AI for aesthetics. In this regard, Li and Wang (2022) published a study on the use of artificial intelligence for non-surgical aesthetic treatments, showing how it obtained more accurate and faster results in most cases.
On the other hand, as Lisa Nan (2023) explains, in China artificial intelligence is already making its way into cosmetic shops. Of course, this is reflected in the online experience, but what is striking is its implementation to improve the offline experience as well. In addition to using it to analyse and diagnose skin, several shops licensed by local authorities can, for example, operate as small factories in which they create fully customised products tailored to each customer’s skin type.
The same article also mentions the ingenious integration of AI with the in-store experience offered by Sephora and designed by Sputnik Studios. After registering via the instant messaging service WeChat to begin the experience, users were connected to the salesperson, who accompanied them in person during the AI-guided product analysis and recommendation process, but with whom they remained in touch afterwards, online.
While such experiences are still somewhat difficult to find in other parts of the world, possibly influenced by both the lesser acceptance of artificial intelligence and the various regulations around it, given the growing reputation of Asian cosmetics, as well as the growing commercial power of the region, it is likely that similar models that take advantage of such synergies will soon become available.
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***
References
IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022. (2022). IBM.
Li, C.-W., y Wang, C.-C. (2022). Chapter 23. AI Technologies Being Developed for Esthetic Practices. In Non-Surgical Rejuvenation of Asian Faces (pp. 393–404). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84099-0
Nan, L. (2023, January 9). How AI technology is reshaping beauty retail in China | Jing Daily. https://jingdaily.com/posts/ai-stores-reshape-china-beauty-landscape
