Can artificial intelligence help create the next consumer product? A recent experiment by entrepreneur Ghazal Alagh suggests it can play a significant role, but human expertise remains essential to delivering a finished product.
The experiment involved asking an AI system to develop a shampoo formulation aimed at reducing hair fall. The AI was provided with a detailed brief, including active ingredients, expected results within a specific timeframe and a target price range.
AI delivers a working formulation
Based on the requirements, the AI generated a complete shampoo formula designed to address the stated objective.
The exercise demonstrated how artificial intelligence can quickly analyse information, process product requirements and generate potential solutions, significantly reducing the time spent on early-stage research and ideation.
However, the AI-generated formula was only the beginning of the development process.
Human expertise remains essential
When the formulation was reviewed by the company’s research and development team, experts identified areas that required improvement before the product could be commercially viable.
For instance, the shampoo’s consistency was found to be too watery and needed refinement to meet consumer expectations and industry standards.
The outcome highlighted a key reality of AI-assisted innovation: while technology can provide strong starting points, product optimisation, testing and quality assurance still depend heavily on scientific expertise and human judgement.
Changing the future of innovation
Industry observers believe AI’s greatest value lies in accelerating research, reducing repetitive tasks and helping teams explore ideas more efficiently.
Companies across sectors are increasingly using AI for ingredient research, trend forecasting, consumer insights and product development.
Rather than replacing scientists, formulators and product developers, AI is emerging as a powerful tool that complements human capabilities.