Clarins is a major player in high-end cosmetics, recognized worldwide for its expertise in skincare, its premium positioning, and its ability to innovate.
An independent family-owned group, Clarins operates in a sector largely dominated by large international companies. Scientific innovation, driven in particular by the R&D teams, constitutes a key strategic lever for differentiation.
Background: supporting the adoption of generative AI in R&D
As part of its annual inspirational seminar, Clarins wanted to dedicate an entire day to generative artificial intelligence. The ambition was clear: to make AI a concrete, accessible, and useful topic for the teams:
- to extensively acculturate employees to the real uses of generative AI,
- to accompany the progressive deployment of the internal tool Clarins GPT.
The project was also intended to address several challenges:
- overcome the reluctance or concerns related to AI,
- to raise awareness of ethical and reliability issues,
- create a collective dynamic around new uses.
Objectives: an AI acculturation to demystify and engage the teams
Clarins wanted first and foremost to create a first level of collective ownership around generative AI.
More specifically, the objectives were to:
- Harmonizing levels of knowledge about generative AI
- Provide concrete use cases, especially around Clarins GPT
- Raising awareness about ethical, legal issues and the impact on professions
- Developing a critical mindset towards the biases and hallucinations of AI
- Inspire people to experiment and take action
- Engage in a sustainable momentum for driving change around AI
Device: an immersive IA day combining vision, experimentation and debate
talenco co-built and hosted a immersive day of meetings 160 employees, Including 120 employees from the R&D Department (scientists, chemists, toxicologists…) and 40 members of the top management and key functions (CEO, COMEX, R&D department, HR…).
A two-part format, designed to create a common language between business experts, managers and executives.
1. Plenary sessions to share a common vision of AI
The plenary sessions, chaired by members of Clarins’ management, enabled the following:
- decrypting the transformations associated with generative AI,
- present the vision and ambitions of Clarins around Clarins GPT,
- address ethical, legal and HR issues,
- give meaning to the transformation process.
2. Six interactive AI workshops to experience it in practice
talenco co-designed and hosted 6 immersive workshops in subgroups of 12 people:
- How to effectively prompt with Clarins GPT: Discovery of good prompting practices and initial practical uses of the internal tool.
- The great AI culture quiz: A playful format to demystify key concepts and develop a common culture of AI.
- Generating images and music with AI: Creative exploration of generative tools and discovery of their capabilities… but also of their limitations.
- Discussing the opportunities and risks of AI: A participatory workshop to exchange views and develop critical thinking.
- Exploring business use cases: Work on concrete applications related to Clarins’ businesses and the potential uses of Clarins GPT.
- Detecting the biases and hallucinations of AI: Situational exercise to understand the limitations of models and the importance of human expertise.
The most educational ones talenco
A very dynamic format
The day alternated between plenary sessions, short and structured workshops, experiments, quizzes, and interactions...
A concrete and experiential approach
The participants directly manipulated: public AI tools as well as Clarins GPT through practical exercises and real-world use cases to learn by experimenting.
A mix of profiles favoring acculturation
The groups included scientists, managers, executives, and support functions… A way to break down perceptions and create a common culture around AI.
A pedagogy oriented towards critical thinking
The initiative aimed not only to promote AI, but also to raise awareness of biases, develop discernment, and remind of the central role of human expertise.
Results and impacts of this immersive AI day
This «IA Day» constituted a structuring first step in the implementation of IA change at Clarins.
Strong participation from participants
The feedback has been very positive, both in the oral presentation and in the internal survey:
- Overall rating: 3.8 / 4 with high satisfaction regarding the pedagogy, the pace, the immersive format, and the quality of the animations.
A “trigger” effect for audiences that are less acculturated
The impact was particularly marked among the participants who were initially the furthest away from the subject: «I was resistant and that gave me the urge.»
The teams emphasized: the device's ability to demystify AI, the desire to go further, and a better understanding of the possible uses.
Facilitated appropriation of Clarins GPT
After this day, the Clarins teams observed:
- an increase in the use of Clarins GPT,
- more articles and content proposals on the intranet,
- a more natural handling of the tool.
As the project team points out:
«The IA day managed to interest both the insiders and the newcomers and those more distant from the subject of AI, with a notable impact on some of the most resistant.»
The feedback from our AI expert
« Dedicating an entire day to onboarding all the R&D teams with the significant presence of the members of Clarins“ COMEX is a tangible proof of the company’s will to develop the use of generative AI. This day will undoubtedly be a ”game changer” towards a more massive, responsible and creative use of ClarinsGPT. »
Raphaël Kattan, DGA partner talenco
