Signals

Global – Reddit user nhciao has created a series of artistic QR codes using AI image-generator Stable Diffusion that can be read as QR codes by smartphone camera apps. These functional pieces reflect artistic styles found in anime and Asian art with images depicting flowers, landscapes and humans.

QR codes, initially developed in the Japanese automobile industry, have found wide-ranging applications across sectors including advertising, product tracking and digital payments because of their large data-storing capacity. Although the creator did not detail the exact technique used to create the codes, they are most likely a result of feeding existing QR codes into Stable Diffusion and then synthesising an image around them. QR codes are good formats to play with as they have an inherent error correction feature built into them which allows Stable Diffusion to blend in picture details.

This creation hints at massive opportunities across the creative industries and is an apt example of how AI-driven tech can offer out-of-the-box thinking – an area we track in our Artificial Intelligence series.

UK – Retail software platform Bolt recently collaborated with YouGov on a report that highlights young beauty consumers' keenness to embrace new technology in e-commerce.

In The Future of Beauty E-commerce: Customer Identity, a staggering 80% of Gen Z and 62% of shoppers overall said they were more likely to buy a beauty product if they could find their perfect formula using tech. The report also emphasises the significance of customisation technology in meeting the needs of diverse consumers by providing tools that enable them to feel adequately catered to.

Overall trust in technology to meet beauty needs is high, with 43% of shoppers preferring the convenience of AI-powered shade-matching online to traditional in-store testing. However, the report highlights a clear generational divide as a whopping 70% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation still firmly prefer shopping for beauty products in-store. A multi-channel approach to customisation from brands remains crucial.

In today's EQ-Commerce landscape, brands must become comfortable with leveraging advanced technologies such as augmented reality and AI to meet young consumers' expectations for customisation. The potential rewards are substantial, as 58% of respondents to Bolt’s survey said they are willing to pay at least 10% more for personalised online shopping.