OpenAI hires the team from the AI recommendation startup Crossing Minds.

Crossing Minds, a startup specializing in artificial intelligence recommendation systems for e-commerce, has announced that its team will be joining OpenAI. The company, which received support from firms such as Index Ventures, Shopify, Plug and Play, and Radical Ventures, managed to raise over $13.5 million in several funding rounds, according to public records.

Crossing Minds' main function was to collaborate with e-commerce companies to optimize their personalization and recommendation systems. The company argues that it analyzes customer behavior data on their sites to gain insights into purchasing preferences without compromising user privacy.

The co-founders of the startup expressed their enthusiasm about joining OpenAI, highlighting that they will share their experience and values in a mission they consider fundamental: ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. They also expressed their interest in learning and contributing to the future of artificial intelligence.

Alexandre Robicquet, one of the co-founders, has updated his LinkedIn profile to indicate that he now works in "Research, Post-training, and Agents at OpenAI." It is unclear if the entire Crossing Minds team will be joining OpenAI. On its website, the company has indicated that it will not be accepting new clients. On its archived "About" page, Crossing Minds mentioned that it was trusted by companies such as Intuit, Anthropic, Udacity, and Chanel.

The artificial intelligence market has seen significant growth in tools designed to facilitate shopping. Companies like Google and Perplexity have launched AI features to enhance recommendations, while startups like Daydream have received substantial investments to develop AI-powered shopping assistants. Earlier this year, OpenAI updated ChatGPT to provide recommendations, images, and reviews of products that users inquire about. For now, OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment.