Thanks to artificial intelligence, the French cosmetics company L’Oréal has increased the speed of new product development by four times. For instance, the company has used AI to identify molecules present in skincare products that can also be applied in the production of shampoos. This was reported by one of the company's executives to Reuters.
According to the publication, other major consumer goods manufacturers are also actively integrating artificial intelligence into the new product development process.
Company executives stated that Nestlé, which owns the Nescafé brand, Haleon, which produces Sensodyne toothpaste, and chocolate manufacturer Mondelez are using AI technologies to accelerate ingredient testing, create new recipes, and reduce risks in the supply chain.
According to Reuters, companies are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence as consumer preferences are changing more rapidly, and manufacturers are forced to simultaneously accelerate innovations and cut costs.
L’Oréal began applying AI in its laboratories about four years ago. Fabrice Megarbani, president of the company’s consumer products division, stated that the technologies allow predicting the effects of various molecules on skin and hair, which helps discover new active ingredients and expand their application possibilities.
“It is now possible to significantly faster find new combinations of molecules and uncover their additional beneficial properties,” Megarbani stated at the Consumer Goods Forum global summit held in Vienna at the end of June.
Philippe Catalano, director of information technology and digital development at Mondelez, described the use of AI in new product development as a “turning point” for the company in an interview with Reuters. According to him, the technologies have helped the owner of the Cadbury and Toblerone brands significantly accelerate development processes and reassess recipes from a new perspective.
Artificial intelligence can offer both traditional and non-standard recipe options, which are then evaluated by specialists.
“This allows for much more efficient optimization of the recipe development process,” Catalano noted. He added that this approach also reduces dependence on individual suppliers and helps to adapt product compositions more quickly to changing consumer preferences.
“Artificial intelligence accelerates what we could do before, but reduces the time from months to weeks, and sometimes from years to months,” he emphasized.
