The industry must honor luxury codes while coping with rapid consumer adoption of AI tools.Every Maison now features artificial intelligence (AI) on its strategic agenda, and adoption has broadened across functions, though mostly through pilots and tests rather than scaled deployments. Translating AI into tangible business impact remains the exception rather than the rule.At-scale deployments predominantly target back-office and operational functions; luxury brands are deliberately preserving the human element of client interactions.Customer...

The world's first fully autonomous robotic pharmacy. Sealed wholesale bottles in, filled and verified prescriptions out. At a fraction of the cost, wherever patients need them.Queue, the company building the world’s first fully autonomous robotic pharmacy, today emerged from stealth with a working system designed to transform how prescriptions are dispensed, verified and delivered.Pharmacy in America is structurally broken. Queue is a complete reimagining of how medications get dispensed, verified and delivered. We built the machine industr...

Researchers at MIT have developed a portable ultrasound system that could make breast imaging more accessible, accurate, and easy to use—even at home. The new device generates high-resolution 3D images of breast tissue and is designed to operate without requiring specialized training, potentially enabling more frequent monitoring and earlier detection of cancer.For individuals at high risk of breast cancer, annual mammograms are often insufficient. Tumors can develop between screenings—so-called “interval cancers”—which tend to be more...

Experts warn that chatbots shouldn’t take the place of therapy.Eri Petherbridge, a psychology student in Boone, N.C., was going to therapy three times a week when her therapist suggested she start using an artificial-intelligence chatbot for support between sessions.After testing ChatGPT, she decided she wanted a bot that sounded and acted more like a therapist. Her search led her to two mental-health-specific bots called Abby and Ash. She says they help her organize her thoughts, reframe her feelings and offer resources such as articles or...

Gregg Renfrew, who launched Counter after buying Beautycounter out of foreclosure, is back with a new brand aimed at getting young shoppers excited about “clean” beauty. Beautycounter and Counter founder Gregg Renfrew is launching Beecee, an affordable, "clean" skincare line targeting Gen Z.The brand utilises a direct-to-consumer, peer-to-peer affiliate model to build a community-driven presence outside of traditional retail.Beyond products, Beecee aims to offer young customers mentorship and business education to drive engagement and loya...

Companies that invest more in AI are also seeing greater workforce expansion.Firms with the highest AI spending posted a +10.2% increase in headcount over the last 2 years, according to a study covering ~22,000 US companies.At the same time, entry-level jobs rose +12.0% on average among these firms.Job gains typically accelerate 6-12 months after a surge in AI spending.By comparison, firms with low AI adoption saw headcount remain roughly unchanged over the same period.In other words, companies that materially invest in AI tend to see strong...

Air purifiers have quietly become household staples, tucked into corners and set to auto, doing their work without much acknowledgment. The fundamental assumption behind every stationary model is that polluted air will eventually drift past the filter if you wait long enough. That’s not entirely wrong, but it means the unit is always reacting to something that’s already spread rather than catching it at the source.Omnipure reframes the whole premise. Rather than sitting in one corner hoping the air comes to it, this autonomous robot concep...

1. (PDF) McKinsey의 2026년 소비자 트렌드 보고서 : 기술 가속과 비용 압박의 충돌AI 및 소셜 미디어 기반의 구매 여정 재편: Gen Z 소비자의 28%가 생성형 AI 도구를 쇼핑에 활용하고 60%가 검색 상단 AI 개요를 채택함에 따라, 전통적인 SEO 및 검색 광고의 영향력 감축 및 브랜드 통제권 약화 분출.다차원적 웰니스 인식과 헬스 케어의 제품 설계화: 건강 지표 가시화 도구(Smartwatch, CGM) 확산과 GLP-1 의약품 보급으로 가계 식료품 지출이 6% 감소하는 등 소비자의 웰니스 태도에 따른 정밀 세그먼테이션 요구 직면.메모러블 경험 소비 및 리소드풀 컨수머의 부상: 경기 침체 속에...

The consumer is changing fast. Four trends—the tech-driven path to purchase, the health revolution, the experience economy, and the resourceful consumer—will redefine the sector. Will brands keep up?The 2026 Consumer Is Being Rebuilt by AI, Wellness, Experiences, and Value DisciplineMcKinsey’s State of the Consumer 2026 argues that the consumer market is entering a more fragmented and harder-to-control phase. The old playbook—build scale, dominate established channels, and influence shoppers through brand equity and search visibility—is...