Photo: Shauna Summers/Death to Stock Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story The Vogue Business AI Tracker keeps a record of the most important AI developments that will influence our industry and our world, each week. From venture capital investments and startup launches to product drops and regulatory updates, we’ll make sure you never miss a beat when it comes to the AI news that matters.
The news: L’Oréal and OpenAI announce partnership for AI in beauty product development, content creation, and product discovery.
Why it matters: L’Oréal Group has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI, marking one of the beauty industry’s most significant moves yet into conversational commerce. Unveiled at the Vivatech conference in Paris, the partnership will explore applications across research, marketing and consumer discovery, while bringing L’Oreal’s brands into ChatGPT, including Maybelline New York. Maybelline will also be part of an experiment into the virtual try-on (VTO) of some beauty products by the two companies.
L’Oréal said it will also work with OpenAI to strengthen product discovery within ChatGPT across brands in the US, from Lancôme to Kérastase. Meanwhile, Skinceuticals, Cerave, and Garnier are all part of ChatGPT’s global ad pilot.
It’s another sign that large fashion and beauty groups are investing in AIO, optimizing for AI assistants that are rapidly emerging as the next discovery layer. Experts are split, however, on whether VTO in beauty is something consumers actually want — some respondents to our Vogue Business AI consumer perception survey said it’s a category where influencer recommendations and in-store product testing are preferred.
The news: UK bans access to social media platforms for under-16s.
Why it matters: The UK is banning social media for under-16s, effective next year. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the restrictions will be modeled on those set by the Australian government last December, comprising a ban for the age group on platforms where the “sole and significant purpose” is to facilitate social interaction. This will include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch, likely alongside other platforms such as dating apps and Bluesky. Pinterest, YouTube Kids, and messenger apps like Whatsapp are not included in the ban.
The UK is going a step further than Australia, however, banning all platforms from offering live streaming to under-16s and prohibiting strangers from making contact with the age group. Gaming platforms like Roblox and Discord — also not included in the blanket ban — will still need to abide by these rules. AI chatbots enabling romantic companionship will be banned for under-18s.
It’s the latest sign that the anti-social media movement is reaching a tipping point, as the push to limit children’s exposure to addictive algorithms and other potential online harms extends beyond activist interests into the mainstream. Brands and marketers will need to adapt their strategies for how they reach these consumers, which will likely result in a much more fragmented marketing space. Experts say multiplayer games like Roblox and Fortnite — where under-16s are socializing more — could become an appealing alternative for brands.
The news: Meta launches AI agents for business users in Whatsapp monetization push.
Why it matters: Meta has introduced AI-powered business tools on Whatsapp, launching a Meta business AI agent, designed to handle custom...