The Future of Fragrance: How AI is Assisting in Scent Creation

Every fragrance is uniquely created by blending a combination of scents to create one. The sense of smell is one of the most powerful, as it can connect to memories and evoke emotions. According to Fifth Sense, when a scent is detected, olfactory neurons in the upper part of the nose generate an impulse that passes to the brain along the olfactory nerve. The olfactory bulb then processes the signal and passes the information about the smell to the limbic system.

Understanding the importance of smell and its effects on the body is key when creating a fragrance. Typically, a perfumer blends natural and synthetic ingredients to create a product that people adore. Now, with the extensive use of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is used to help perfumers create their fragrances. 

AI fragrance

Source: The Face

IBM's research team and Symrise created an AI system, Philyra, capable of learning about formulas, raw materials, historical success data, and industry trends. Philyra is a new and advanced system that can help perfumers enhance their scent. New creations can be developed by learning about the ingredients required to create a perfume and helping to identify patterns and combinations. 

The research team is programming AI with data from previously made fragrances, including raw ingredients and grouped fragrances, to try to produce more perfumes with the same success rate. Philyra then generates unique combinations using this data to create a one-of-a-kind fragrance and a unique experience you won't find anywhere else.

The first two AI-produced fragrances, Egeo on You and Egeo on Me were for the global beauty company O Boticário. Of course, human testing is just as crucial in the process, so perfumers must test the perfume and tweak it as needed to ensure the notes are all coming through and long-lasting. Since Philyra is well-trained and knowledgeable, the last step was perfecting the product before its release.

 With the ultimate goal of introducing this technology to perfumers worldwide, Syrmise plans to further its research and introduce Philyra to as much data as possible.

As technology continues to advance, more companies are using AI. In 2023, Givaduan launched its AI tool, Myrissi, to assist in creating fragrances and NOS Emotiontech uses their AI platform to create a a relationship between sets and colors to create customized mood boards. The more information programmed into the AI tools, the better they can assist in creating fragrances. The company can now understand what scents and notes are included in the perfume concoction and extort emotional responses.

Since the introduction of AI, technology has seen significant improvements and become more active than ever, leaving us with one question: is the future of fragrance AI-assisted?