New partnership will use deep learning to get under the skin of aging, providing personalised recommendations to prevent deterioration.
Today, Haut.AI, a leading research and development company specialising in next-generation AI for skin aging and longevity, announced a strategic partnership with Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the US.
Longevity.Technology: As the body’s largest organ, skin protects against harmful bacteria, helps to regulate body temperature and enables sensation. It is also home to millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up the skin microbiome, defending us against invading pathogens, helping to educate our immune system and playing a role in the breakdown of various natural products.
The skin is prone to many problems, including skin cancer, acne and rashes and aging adds to these, bringing dryness, wrinkles and liver spots. Damaged and aging skin is less effective against pathogen invasion, but it also an enormous driver for the cosmetic and cosmeceutical industries, as people seek to reverse the effects of skin aging and sun damage, rather than simply disguise it. By using the power of an app, personalising treatment for skin aging could soon be as straightforward as checking the weather.
Ulta Beauty and Haut.AI share a common purpose which they plan to foster with the new partnership – the creation of innovative digital skincare tools that offer users an improved experience. The partnership aims to enhance skin analysis technology with enriched data, skin algorithms, simulations and improved recommendations.
Machine learning goes more than skin deep
Headquartered in Estonia, Haut.AI combines advanced deep learning techniques for machine vision, deep generative models for synthetic data generation, and reinforcement learning with expert human dermatologists, nutritionists and biogerontologists for the development of advanced personalised recommendation engines for skin.
Photograph: Haut.AISince its inception in 2018, the company has focused on developing and applying its next-gen AI tech for skincare, beauty and longevity, supporting advanced R&D activities of major global skincare brands and manufacturers, particularly in new product development, testing and collection of claims and consumer studies.
Ulta Beauty and Haut.AI share a vision to help customers achieve both short-term skincare goals, in addition to preserving and improving skin long term. The partnership aims to create disruptive and novel ways to “hyper-personalize” daily skincare routines.
Focused on innovation
“Our teams are laser focused on imagining – and reimagining – the most engaging guest experiences across every Ulta Beauty touchpoint,” said Prama Bhatt, chief digital officer, Ulta Beauty. “As industry leaders, we are thrilled to bring forward innovative solutions that serve our guests and cannot wait to see how our partnership with Haut.AI will deliver for guests as we marry our passions for personalization, data-driven technology and beautiful possibilities.”
“An AI-based system that can identify skin issues is not a novelty today. We recognize the next big step is how consumers experience these systems,” said Anastasia Georgievskaya, chief executive officer, Haut.AI. “Our solution is highly accurate and with Ulta Beauty, we will create an AI engine to address consumer skin needs early to prevent deterioration, while tailoring recommendations to individual preferences spanning texture, smell, brand values and preferred ways to shop. Who said science-backed, AI-powered skincare can’t be fun?”
As part of the partnership, Haut.AI’s will build new capabilities and use its inclusive skin scan technology which has been rigorously tested and validated on a curated image dataset. In turn, Ulta Beauty will enrich Haut.AI’s recommendation engine with consumer insights and product preferences to create a next-generation omnichannel shopping experience.”
