How AI Will Reshape Beauty, Science, and Leadership with Chaz Giles

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Chaz Giles, founder of Alida Labs and former head of external innovation at Estee Lauder, returns to Skin Anarchy to cut through the AI hype: where it creates real value in beauty and wellness, why midsize brands are outpacing the giants, how to get your data ready, and what AI means for executives and their careers.

Who is Chaz Giles? 

Two decades across Procter & Gamble, venture capital, and Estee Lauder, then founder of Revea and now Alida Labs. "How do you turn technology into things that consumers love and are good for business?"

Where does AI actually fit in beauty right now? 

Unevenly. "We had a custom GPT... that's why it didn't really help, because it wasn't the use case that was right." Real value lives in data, formulation, product development, and DTC analytics.

Where should a brand start with AI? 

With its existing strengths. "Think of AI as a superpower... where do you want to create a superpower?" Point it at your competitive advantage, not everything at once.

How can AI help a brand stand out in a saturated market? 

By formulating with claims in mind, mapping white space, and turning one concern like hyperpigmentation into multiple defensible mechanism claims. "It's getting more mileage out of the formulas and ingredients I have."

What is the difference between LLMs and agentic AI? 

Levels of value. "My agentic flows, I now can set up effectively AI employees and AI teams," letting a four person startup operate like a team of 40.

Why are midsize companies beating the giants at AI? 

"They are not [winning], because they cannot get out of their own way in terms of how to do that redesign." Nimble midcaps are leapfrogging larger rivals and halving time to market.

How should companies get their data ready for AI? 

Out of silos first. "There never was an award for the world's sexiest data." Consolidating scattered data unlocks synthetic testing and digital twins.

How much AI is too much? 

Never too much data, easily too much AI. "AI should be used in places that it's giving me more value than I can create with my org chart today."

How is AI changing beauty investment? 

"AI is eating software," erasing old moats. Brand and distribution matter more again, and a new crop of AI native brands is coming.

What does AI mean for executives? 

A hard mirror as the value of information trends toward zero. "It's about how to apply, how to integrate, how to lead the teams and the transformation."

How do leaders stay indispensable in an AI future? 

By leaning into what machines cannot do. "You as a leader are still uniquely positioned to take that information and translate it into valuable action."

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Contact Chaz: chaz@alidalabs.ai, LinkedIn, Instagram

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