For generations, the master perfumer has been portrayed as a solitary artist, a recluse of olfaction whose genius resides in an almost mystical connection between memory and scent. This romantic image of “The Nose” depicts a world of quiet laboratories, patient intuition, and jealously guarded personal notebooks filled with handwritten formulas. But the doors to this insular world are being blown open by a collaborator that never sleeps, never forgets, and can map the entire universe of aroma in a matter of seconds: Artificial Intelligence.
The most prominent envoy of this new era is an entity known as Carto, an AI-powered system developed by the industry giant Givaudan. It is less a ghost in the machine and more of a digital apprentice, a co-pilot designed not to seize the controls but to reveal entirely new flight paths through the vast cosmos of fragrance ingredients. Carto stands beside the perfumer, offering a new language of creation based on data, freeing the artist to dream in bolder strokes. Its existence fundamentally redefines the creative workflow, shifting the perfumer’s focus from the limits of human memory to the limitless horizon of structured imagination.
This technological leap in how scents are composed is mirrored by equally profound shifts in how their foundational elements are acquired. The same spirit of innovation that powers an algorithm like Carto is also at the heart of a global push for smarter, more sustainable sourcing. The industry’s reliance on technology now extends to the very beginning of the process, including the development of innovative scent extraction methods that capture nature’s essence with unprecedented precision and minimal environmental impact.
Beyond Human Memory
A senior perfumer’s mind is a living library of scent, a neural palace containing thousands of individual aromas and the ghosts of their infinite potential combinations. This biological database, while astonishing, is inherently finite; it is constrained by the natural limits of human recall, colored by personal bias, and subject to the slow erosion of time. The sheer cognitive load of holding this universe of information simultaneously is a monumental and deeply human challenge.
Here, Carto offers a form of cognitive augmentation, serving as a flawless extension of the perfumer’s own memory. The system contains a vast, ever-expanding dataset of Givaudan’s entire ingredient palette, from the most ancient naturals to the most futuristic synthetic molecules. It can recall every component’s technical data, performance metrics, and market history instantly, presenting connections and contrasts that might take a human perfumer weeks of trial and error to uncover.
This fusion of human intuition and machine memory sparks a new kind of creative fire. By offloading the monumental task of data recall, the system liberates the perfumer to ask more audacious questions. It allows for the exploration of “what if” scenarios at a speed previously unimaginable, suggesting unconventional pairings and novel structures that defy traditional wisdom and push the boundaries of established fragrance families.
The Creative Dialogue
Interacting with Carto is less like programming a computer and more like engaging in a rapid-fire dialogue with a brilliant, if unfeeling, assistant. The perfumer initiates the conversation, providing a creative brief or a starting accord. Carto then responds in real-time, displaying its suggestions on a large touchscreen interface, visualizing data in a way that is both intuitive and analytically powerful.
This collaborative exchange is built upon a foundation of data-driven inspiration. The AI can instantly chart pathways to a desired outcome, proposing adjustments and additions based on a multitude of strategic goals. The system’s primary functions in this dialogue are to:
- Suggest alternative ingredients to achieve a similar effect, often with improved sustainability or lower cost.
- Identify novel pairings of ingredients that have a high probability of smelling pleasant together but are rarely used.
- Predict how a formula will perform over time, showing its evaporation curve and scent character at different stages.
- Optimize a formula to meet complex regulatory and safety requirements without sacrificing its artistic integrity.
Despite the power of its suggestions, every creative decision remains firmly in human hands. The AI presents possibilities, but it is the perfumer who curates, refines, and breathes life into the final composition. Carto provides the map, but the perfumer chooses the destination and enjoys the journey.
The ‘Odour Value’ and Data-Driven Scent
At the core of Carto’s intelligence is a proprietary metric Givaudan has termed “Odour Value.” This is a unique data point that quantifies an ingredient’s olfactory impact relative to its evaporation rate, essentially scoring how efficiently it contributes to the overall character and performance of a fragrance. This value is the cornerstone of the system’s ability to make smart, performance-oriented recommendations.
This data-centric approach transforms fragrance formulation from a purely intuitive art into a hybrid discipline where creativity is enhanced by predictive science. By leveraging these performance metrics, a perfumer can rapidly prototype dozens of variations of a formula, each optimized for specific attributes like longevity on the skin or a powerful diffusion in the air. This dramatically accelerates the development timeline from initial concept to market-ready product.
This very efficiency, however, sparks a philosophical debate about the future of perfumery. Is there a danger that this relentless optimization could lead to a generation of fragrances that are technically perfect but emotionally sterile? As AI tools become more integrated into the creative process, the industry must consciously guard the space for happy accidents, for inspired flaws, and for the kind of daring, inefficient artistry that produces true masterpieces.
The Human Touch Remains Irreplaceable
For all its analytical power, Carto operates within a void of genuine understanding. The algorithm can identify that a specific combination of molecules is statistically likely to be perceived as pleasant, but it has no capacity to feel that pleasure. It cannot smell its own creation and know if it successfully evokes the nostalgia of a childhood memory or the thrill of a first romance.
This is where the perfumer’s role becomes more crucial than ever. The human artist provides the soul of the fragrance: the story, the emotional brief, the cultural context, and the final artistic veto. The perfumer’s life experience, their ability to translate a feeling into a scent, is a quality that cannot be programmed or replicated by any algorithm, no matter how sophisticated.
Ultimately, Carto is not an electronic perfumer; it is an extraordinary instrument. Like the invention of the piano gave musicians a new range of expression, AI gives perfumers a tool to manage complexity on an unprecedented scale. It frees them from the more laborious and repetitive aspects of their craft, allowing them to dedicate more of their time and energy to the one thing the machine can never possess: a human heart.
Questions About AI in Perfumery
No, it functions as a reactive partner, not a proactive inventor. The system requires a starting point provided by a human perfumer—this could be a simple accord of two ingredients, a complex pre-existing formula, or a set of desired characteristics. Carto then uses that input to generate suggestions and modifications; it does not create from a blank slate.
Not necessarily. While it can significantly speed up the development process and potentially lead to more efficient use of expensive raw materials, the final price of a perfume is still heavily influenced by ingredient costs, packaging, marketing, and brand positioning. The primary gain is in the speed and breadth of innovation, not directly in cost reduction for the consumer.
While Carto is one of the most prominent and publicly discussed examples, the use of AI and machine learning is a growing trend across the fragrance and flavor industry. Other major houses and technology companies are developing their own proprietary systems to assist in creation, discovery, and data analysis, making AI a new competitive frontier in the business of scent.