AI is delivering powerful tools that will allow research & development to speed up and to get products to market quicker. These trends are influencing the products developed and marketed. AI can play a significant role in the emerging markets, where information is not always easily available or accessible. Accurate information will allow both local and international brands to be more innovative and access these markets with more confidence.

Generally, the normal R&D process takes about 18-24 months, depending on the type of product, with AI we can probably reduce the development time significantly.

Companies will be able to deliver personalized skincare and make-up solutions. AI can gather data from photographs, questionnaires, and scans to ensure the consumer’s specific skincare or make-up needs are met. More advanced systems, allow for virtual try-on platforms, where the consumer can see if a specific lip stick shade will suit them, prior to purchase. International brands like L’Oreal already have these kinds of tools, like Modiface (1).

R&D does not end with just a great formulation, all brands need to ensure the safety of the consumer, AI can assist with safety assessments, as well as how different ingredients can interact with one another, in some instances it will also help to predict product stability. AI can be used in manufacturing environments to identify defects and help streamline the quality process.

AI can be a very effective tool in supply chain, it will be able to warn if there might be shortage for some raw materials, based on the information it has access to. It will be able to give reminders that materials should be ordered. It could assist with more sustainable options for certain raw materials.

Even though, there are all these positives regarding AI, care must be taken to determine the information this tool will have access to, what LLM a company will use and what rules and regulations it needs to adhere to. A general AI system, readily available to all, will have access to similar information. If a company invest in their own AI system, though it will be expensive, the data the company will have access to will be specific to the company’s requirements

Other challenges that might be experienced in South Africa and the rest of the continent, is the access to accurate data, that ensures the reliability of the AI. Different ethnicities do not just have different skin tones or specific skin conditions, these groups also have different hair types, based on the region they are from as well as their diet. The input data should be as accurate as possible to get maximum output.

There will always be concerns regarding AI and job shifts, security, and IP protection, but with the correct regulations and rules, companies can manage these concerns. This is both very exciting and a little unsettling, a lot more work needs to be done to ensure that everyone will feel comfortable using this technology responsibly. We need to decide if AI will shape Africa, or will Africa shape AI.