Estée Lauder Companies and Microsoft Launch AI Innovation Lab
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and Microsoft have announced the launch of an AI Innovation Lab, a move that enhances their global strategic relationship and positions them as pioneers in using generative AI to redefine the beauty industry.
The AI Innovation Lab utilises the advanced generative AI capabilities of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to develop impactful AI applications aimed at strengthening ELC’s extensive portfolio of over 20 luxury beauty brands, which include Mac Cosmetics, The Ordinary, Bobbi Brown, and namesake Estée Lauder. These applications will support several areas of ELC’s business, including improving responsiveness to consumer demands and social trends, as well as accelerating product innovation.
The lab will harness advanced conversational AI technology to navigate and leverage ELC’s vast database of product and claim data, enabling brands to launch locally relevant campaigns more quickly. Additionally, the lab will be able to conduct research and development for quicker product creation, allowing scientists and product development specialists to respond to emerging product and ingredient trends more rapidly.
“At ELC, technology is always in support of our enduring strengths of high-quality products and high-touch consumer experiences,” said Jane Lauder, EVP of Enterprise Marketing and chief data officer at The Estée Lauder Companies. “With Microsoft’s generative AI tools and extensive expertise, we are able to leverage ELC’s tremendous data to create more personalized consumer experiences and faster insights to action resulting in increased speed to market and stronger local relevancy. We look forward to continuing our close and collaborative partnership with Microsoft.”
“Generative AI represents a significant opportunity for the beauty industry — creating more engaging customer experiences, getting products into the hands of consumers faster, developing new products more efficiently and sustainably, and much more,” said Shelley Bransten, corporate vice president of Global Industry Solutions at Microsoft. “We’re proud to collaborate with The Estée Lauder Companies to provide not only a platform for AI innovation, but also deep partnership to bring these new innovations to life.”
The AI Innovation Lab signifies a deepening of the strategic relationship between ELC and Microsoft, which was formed in 2017. As part of this long-term relationship, ELC tapped Azure AI as the platform for its Voice-Enabled Makeup Assistant, a pioneering mobile app launched in early 2023 to assist users with visual impairments to apply makeup more easily and confidently. The app is currently available for download in the US, UK, and Ireland, on both iOS and Android platforms. Plans are underway to launch the app to additional markets and languages imminently.