The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and Microsoft Corp. announced on Friday the creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Lab, marking a significant expansion in their global strategic relationship. Utilizing Microsoft’s advanced generative AI capabilities from Azure OpenAI, both companies will collaborate to develop solutions that enhance ELC’s prestigious beauty brands, improving connections with consumers and accelerating market entry with local relevance. The AI Innovation Lab positions both companies as leaders in reinventing the beauty industry through generative AI.
This expanded global strategic relationship will support and develop impactful use cases of generative AI in various areas of ELC’s business, including:
– Faster response and execution to social trends and consumer demands: ELC and Microsoft have successfully created an internal generative AI chatbot to enhance global marketing effectiveness. This tool uses advanced conversational AI technology to efficiently navigate and leverage ELC’s extensive product and claims database, enabling the launch of locally relevant campaigns faster.
– Rapid and more effective product innovation: ELC and Microsoft are applying generative AI tools in research and development to accelerate product development, allowing scientists and product development specialists to respond more quickly to emerging product and ingredient trends.
“At ELC, technology always serves our enduring strengths of high-quality products and high-touch consumer experiences,” said Jane Lauder, EVP, Enterprise Marketing, and Chief Data Officer at The Estée Lauder Companies. “With Microsoft’s generative AI tools and extensive expertise, we can leverage ELC’s vast data to create more personalized consumer experiences and gain faster insights for actions resulting in quicker time to market and stronger local relevance. 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 are proud to partner with The Estée Lauder Companies to provide not only a platform for AI innovation but also a deep partnership to bring these new innovations to life.”
The AI Innovation Lab represents a deepening of the strategic relationship between ELC and Microsoft, which began in 2017. As part of this long-term relationship, ELC selected Azure AI as the platform for its Voice-Enabled Makeup Assistant, a pioneering mobile application launched in early 2023 to help visually impaired users apply makeup more easily and safely. The application is available on iOS and Android in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland, and will be launched in more markets and languages in the coming months.