Nearly six in ten Indonesians say they are concerned that artificial intelligence will impact their jobs, according to a 2023 Statista survey. This concern continues to grow as automation takes over routine jobs across various sectors.
L’Oréal Indonesia Country Managing Director Benjamin Rancow said technology is not the threat many young people imagine. In a masterclass session held by SBM ITB (September 3), Rancow emphasised that L’Oréal’s position as Indonesia’s number one beauty company is supported more by the people who use technology than by the technology itself.
His view aligns with the company’s career motto, “Life is too short for a boring career,” which transforms concerns about AI into an opportunity. “As the industry continues to evolve,” he told the audience, “the most successful individuals will be those who continuously learn.”
This view is reflected in L’Oréal’s marketing strategy. The company embeds artificial intelligence at every stage of its value chain, from research and ideation, through activation and customer service, to measuring results.
Through its platform, L’Oréal One Intelligence, the company leverages around 100,000 studies from 70 countries to strengthen its market research, a data advantage that is difficult to match when done manually. However, Rancow emphasises that AI enhances, not replaces, humans. AI expands what the marketing team can see, but humans still make the final decision.
While technical skills are now considered the minimum standard, Rancow says interpersonal, or soft, skills are the key differentiator. He shares his own experience as an example.
“The biggest challenge in my career has been the culture. In Germany, not being critical is considered a good thing,” he said, recalling his early years there. “I realized that people express warmth in different ways, which can make me seem cold.”
This story reinforced a message he repeated throughout the session: the narrower the technical skills gap caused by AI, the harder it is for empathy and cultural sensitivity to be replaced by machines, and therefore, the higher their value.
L’Oréal is also working to narrow the gap between universities and the workplace for Indonesian students. The company is opening several pathways for young talent, including L’Oréal Brandstorm, an innovation competition for student teams; L’Oréal HighFlyer, a six-month internship program; and L’Oréal SeedZ, a management trainee program designed to accelerate graduates’ career paths to leadership positions.
For SBM ITB students considering their next steps in a job market constantly changing because of AI, Rancow’s session offered reassurance without downplaying the challenges ahead. Machines will keep moving faster and becoming more sophisticated. However, the message was simple: what needs to be continually honed is not just the ability to keep up with technology, but the ability to be a better human being.
Written by Student Reporter (Sarah Arella Pardede, Entrepreneurship 2027)
