Beauty / news
Beauty Discovery Shifts to AI Chatbots, VivaTech 2026 Reveals
At VivaTech 2026 in Paris, L’Oréal and LVMH showcased AI-driven beauty tools as new data shows 75% of consumers use large language models for beauty research, with 25% now relying on AI as their primary shopping source.
AI chatbots, particularly ChatGPT, are overtaking social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as the main gateway for beauty discovery, according to insights from VivaTech 2026 held in Paris this June. L’Oréal reported that 5% of OpenAI’s 900 million weekly conversations on ChatGPT now touch on beauty topics, signaling a major shift in consumer behavior.
Asmita Dubey, L’Oréal’s Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, stated onstage that large language models are becoming the ‘front door to beauty discovery.’ The observation was backed by a BCG and WWD survey of 5,000 US beauty shoppers, which found that three out of four respondents have recently used LLMs to research beauty, wellness, or longevity topics. One quarter said AI is now their primary shopping research tool.
To adapt, beauty companies and technology firms are intensifying their presence at events like VivaTech. L’Oréal, LVMH, and various beauty tech innovators demonstrated AI-powered product discovery, diagnostics, and commerce solutions aimed at capitalizing on this trend.
The rise of generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies is becoming a priority. Brands are now seeking to optimize product visibility across ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini, moving away from traditional social media battlegrounds to meet consumers where they increasingly start their shopping journeys.