Welcome to Beauty Run by Robots, a Vogue Business mini-series exploring the role and effects artificial intelligence (AI) will have on the beauty industry.

Skincare brand SmartSkn’s pop-up lab in Los Angeles now features artificial intelligence-driven skincare robots by Korean tech firm Lillycover, promising personalised skincare in three minutes. At the Consumer Electronics Show’s 2025 tech showcase, agentic AI (a form of AI capable of independent action and learning) dazzled execs with its potential to reshape everything from robotic surgery to automated marketing analysis. I’ve gotten a 20-minute gel manicure from Umia’s salon robot — a fraction of the usual time with results lasting two weeks.