"It feels like an episode of The Jetsons come to life, but the truth is that the AI boom has officially entered the physical world. Most of us interact with artificial intelligence through screens- Gemini drafts our emails, ChatGPT summarizes our docs-but behind the scenes, engineers are racing to give AI hands and feet. Robots already pack boxes in warehouses and make guacamole in fast-food kitchens. Soon, they will be washing dishes, taking care of pets, and performing your manicure."
"Here at Ulta, the robot holding my hand was built by Boston-based startup 10Beauty. After six years of R&D and $50 million in venture funding, the company has created a machine meant to replicate the entire manicure process: polish removal, shaping, buffing, and painting. The company plans to roll the robots out to Ulta, Nordstrom, and high-end salons later this year. The manicures will be priced at $30-no tipping required."
"But first comes the beta test. Ulta has agreed to pilot the machines in select stores, where customers can get free manicures while 10Beauty gathers real-world data. Human nail techs stand by to fix mistakes, ensuring customers still leave with salon-worthy nails. "We've done more than a thousand manicures on real people already," says Justin Effron, 10Beauty's cofounder. "That's how we'll figure out exactly what works and what doesn't. We're cocreating this with customers.""
An AI-powered robot by startup 10Beauty performs complete manicures—polish removal, shaping, buffing, and painting—within roughly 30 minutes in a suburban Boston Ulta. 10Beauty invested six years and $50 million into development and plans rollouts at Ulta, Nordstrom, and high-end salons, pricing services at $30 with no tipping. Ulta is piloting the machines in select stores, offering free manicures while 10Beauty collects real-world data; human nail technicians remain on hand to correct errors. Ulta is also integrating AI across operations, from generative agents to inventory optimization.
Read at Fast Company
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