At CarGurus, AI touches everyone.
From engineers and product managers to salespeople and marketers, AI powers innovation at every corner of the company, leading to smarter tools, more efficient workflows, and better customer experiences.
Just ask Sarah Rich, lead of AI enablement, Ryan Aghdam, a director of engineering, or Harrison Makofsky, a product acceleration manager.
Whether they are using AI to support product prototyping or simply to transcribe a meeting, Rich, Aghdam and Makofsky are but three voices in a true companywide transformation driven by AI experimentation and exploration.
A Culture of Curiosity and Continuous Learning
At CarGurus, every employee has the freedom to explore AI, but leadership understood that in order to feel comfortable and empowered using the technology, employees needed a support system.
Enter, AI Forward.
Launched in October 2024, this cross-departmental working group helps identify the most beneficial uses of AI at CarGurus and then encourages safe exploration and experimentation among employees. AI Forward supports, educates and empowers employees to explore and embrace AI.
See why CarGurus is a great place to work.
Sarah Rich helms the AI Forward team.
“There is a lot of nuance within each department in terms of their level of readiness and interest, and the point of AI Forward is to make sure that’s being addressed in every function,” she said.
While the mandate for AI Forward is top-down, what it looks like in every function is very bottom-up, Rich said.
To that end, AI Forward is intended to meet the unique needs of each department, which require different approaches to experimentation. On the engineering team, this might look like a weeklong “bakeoff” in which engineers get to test out two different AI coding tools to see which works best for them. But another team, like human resources, might take a totally different approach.
According to Director of Engineering Ryan Aghdam, AI Forward is just one example of CarGurus’ culture of continuous learning.
“The investment in learning is key in that it goes beyond just learning about tools,” he said. “It’s about tinkering with new ideas and being innovative that way.” In fact, AI Forward has pre-vetted a robust collection of AI tools, which enables people to dive into experimenting with approved tools instead of working to identify and obtain them.
Experimentation does not come at the expense of safety, however. In fact, Product Acceleration Manager Harrison Makofsky calls the company’s approach to exploration and implementation both “careful and curious.” By putting the right support systems and guardrails in place at the start, teams can then feel empowered to move quickly in their experimentation.
Before any AI tool even reaches the testing phase, it goes through an expedited compliance review. Then, the procurement team ensures every tool offers considerable business value and gives the organization a competitive edge.
Once vetted, each team can test tools on their own while leaning on guidance from a formalized template assembled by the AI Forward team.
“This approach lets us try a lot more things, experimenting faster while maintaining safety and security,” Rich said.
How AI Is Making Work Smarter — Across Every Function
AI has enhanced work for every team at CarGurus.
For Makofsky, the AI platform Glean makes it easier for him and his peers in product to quickly search internal data sources, while AI agents summarize findings and automate simple but time-consuming tasks within the platform. Meanwhile, Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, enables his team to easily transcribe meetings and supports their product prototyping efforts.
“All of these tools save people time every single day, while giving the whole company more capabilities than we could have imagined, even a year ago,” Makofsky said.
“All of these tools save people time every single day, while giving the whole company more capabilities than we could have imagined…”
Meanwhile, the sales team is using AI to help with training, data analysis, and prioritization of tasks within and across customer accounts.
“In some departments like sales we needed to build integrations from AI tools into the platforms that folks were already using prior to GenAI,” Rich said.
To facilitate the adoption of these AI tools, CarGurus offers AI training to different departments and hosts weekly AI office hours, which provide employees with a low-pressure space to ask general questions about the technology. During these office hours, Makofsky shares relatable examples of how he uses AI in his day-to-day to inspire others to experiment and grow comfortable with the tools available to them.
“One way I try to explain it to folks is that they should consider AI like a new team member who just joined; they have all the information, but they just need the exact instructions and what you need from them. Giving as much context as possible really helps get whatever you’re trying to do done,” he said.
Driving Innovation for Customers Through AI-Powered Products
As AI makes it easier for CarGurus’ employees to drive innovation, it’s also enhancing its platform. A new AI-powered search experience is a testament to this transformation.
According to Aghdam, the new solution aims to help bring more personalization and efficiency to the car-buying process with the power of conversational search.
“For consumers, there’s just a ton of information out there for buying a car, and it’s overwhelming, so I think a majority of shoppers start the process not really knowing what they want,” he said.
To help consumers navigate the process, the solution enables them to search for vehicles using conversational prompts that can fit a variety of criteria, such as luxury features, the ability to traverse all terrain, and adequate space for multiple passengers. Rather than traditional search filters that require selecting a specific make or model from the start, the solution helps early stage shoppers research and uncover the best options that suit their needs.
The solution reflects the company’s customer-focused nature. Crafted using customer research, it offers a uniquely tailored alternative for shoppers who prefer more guidance compared to what typical search filters offer.
“AI tools like these are unique in our space, and help set us apart as a company that understands what consumers really need when it comes to car shopping,” Aghdam said.
“AI tools like these are unique in our space, and help set us apart as a company that understands what consumers really need when it comes to car shopping.”
What made this solution possible wasn’t just the team’s collective technical acumen; it was the way in which they collaborated together across departments, with everyone wearing multiple hats throughout its creation.
“People didn’t stick to their role,” Aghdam said. “Everyone had a very high level of ownership.”
The Future of AI at CarGurus: Empowerment, Exploration and Edge
CarGurus’ approach to AI aims to empower its people to thrive both now and in the future.
The company recently held an all-day internal event called AI Day, which enabled its people to step away from their day-to-day tasks and further explore AI and its potential with their peers. Employees spoke with representatives from AI tool vendors, listened to employee presentations regarding team-specific use of AI and sat in on a fireside chat with the company’s chief technology officer.
For Makofsky, the event’s show-and-tell component proved to be the highlight, as it enabled teams like his own to share the AI tools and projects they had been working on.
“At my booth, we were all there for about an hour and a half, and there was not a moment where I wasn’t talking to a group of people,” he said. “Seeing that engagement was really energizing and validating.”
By empowering its people to become AI experts, CarGurus is giving them a competitive edge.
“We need to make sure that people have opportunities to upskill and that we’re creating that space at work — not making people feel like they have to do it on their own time,” Rich said.
She added that CarGurus’ focus on AI adoption reflects its culture of resilience and adaptability.
“Innovation is not about having a crystal ball and being able to walk a straight line to the outcome you want,” Rich said. “It’s a more jagged path. We’re embracing that.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How does CarGurus make AI accessible to all employees?
Through its AI Forward initiative, CarGurus offers pre-approved AI tools, departmental training, office hours and a structured experimentation process that encourages learning across all roles.
What kinds of AI tools are used across teams?
Teams use platforms like Glean for knowledge management, Gemini for transcription and prototyping, and custom integrations to enhance sales and product workflows.
How does CarGurus ensure responsible AI use?
Each tool undergoes compliance and procurement reviews to ensure safety, security and business value before employees test it in controlled environments.
What learning opportunities does CarGurus provide?
Employees can attend AI office hours, participate in AI Day events, and access guided experimentation frameworks supported by the AI Forward team.
How is AI transforming CarGurus’ products?
New features like conversational car search are helping customers personalize their car-buying experience, demonstrating how AI can deliver tangible, user-centered innovation.
