Beauty / Beauty newsBeauty / Beauty newsThe new face of skincare brand SK-II is an AI avatarIntroducing YUMI: if Alexa and Lil Miquela had a lovechildShareLink copied ✔️June 19, 2019June 19, 2019TextAlex Peters Prestige Japanese skincare brand SK-II has announced the new face of its brand but there’s a twist – she’s not real. Introducing YUMI, SK-II’s new ambassador and the latest member of the ever-growing ranks of digital influencers and avatar models. A gang that includes Shudu, who last year was enlisted alongside a cast of other CGI models for a Balmain campaign, and, of course, Lil Miquela who has fronted campaigns for UGG and Calvin Klein where she controversially made-out with Bella Hadid. What makes YUMI different, the brand says, is that she is autonomously animated and through AI technology will go on to develop her own personality and movement over time. Created by AI company Soul Machines, YUMI will be able to interact as a human would, providing beauty advice, answering questions and helping customers better understand their skin in a more personable way than the brand’s current chatbots are able to. Using Google Dialogflow as the underlying NLP engine, YUMI will speak in Japanese, English and eventually Mandarin. “YUMI is more than a digital influencer. She is a digital human capable of interacting and engaging in ways technology hasn’t been able to do until now,” says Sandeep Seth, chief executive officer, Global SK-II. “She provides the warmth and connection of human touch in the form of a digital experience to make the overall skincare experience at home and in store more enjoyable and compelling.” While there is no set date yet on when YUMI will be rolled-out, once she is costumers will be able to interact with her across smartphones, home devices and in-stores, so watch this space. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREHave we reached peak runfluencer?13 of the best ever vintage Oscars beauty looksA brief history of how Friday 13th became the tattoo world’s Black FridayThe best beauty of AW26: botched facelifts, crying and rat hairAudrey Hobert’s beauty secrets? Water, lip gloss and gumPhotos from the floor of Rio’s transmasc ballroom sceneCould these insect manicures help you face you fears?‘Be a good person’: Simi and Haze share their 2026 beauty affirmationsThe rise of the 9-to-5 beauty routineMeet the Face-Raters, the men judging hotness in looksmaxxing forumsRosalía: ‘We all want love – brotherly love, divine love, carnal love’Beard wigs: The new must-have accessory for men? Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy