How AUTO.RIA Builds an AI-First Approach and Invests in Team Upskilling

AUTO.RIA — Ukraine’s largest marketplace for buying and selling cars — is consistently implementing an AI-first approach in which artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of products, processes, and the teams’ day-to-day work. How AI helps personalize search, increase transaction security, and scale the service was recently discussed by CPO Roman Marchenko in AIN.ua in the article “AI Knows Which Car Color You Like: How AUTO.RIA Is Implementing an AI-First Model.”

At the same time, the company emphasizes that developing AI solutions is impossible without developing people. That is why, alongside technological transformation, AUTO.RIA is investing in systematic team training in artificial intelligence, in particular in partnership with SET University.

AI as an Infrastructure Layer for a Scalable Product

AUTO.RIA works with millions of users and hundreds of thousands of daily interactions. At this scale, artificial intelligence becomes an infrastructure-level component of the product.

Today, AI is used across multiple stages of the user journey and within the platform itself: for personalized car recommendations, user behavior analysis, fraud detection in listings, data and image verification, as well as automation of moderation and analytics. This reduces the load on teams and improves overall service quality.

At the same time, the complexity of such solutions requires not only technology but also well-prepared teams that understand AI’s capabilities and limitations and know how to apply it within their roles.

People as the Foundation of the AI-First Approach

More than a hundred specialists across product, technology, marketing, finance, and legal functions work on AUTO.RIA’s products today. The company views AI not as a standalone technology, but as a core competence for every professional and a tool that reshapes ways of working across roles and functions.

That is why learning has become one of the key elements of the AI-first approach. To enable specialists to work with AI consciously and effectively, AUTO.RIA launched a corporate learning program at SET University.

“For us, it was important to find an educational partner who speaks the same language as business and understands how AI works not in theory, but in real products and processes. SET University combines strong technological expertise with a focus on the practical application of AI across different functions — from product and engineering to management and business roles.

We did not aim to turn every specialist into a data scientist. Our goal was for the team to clearly understand the capabilities and limitations of AI, to be able to formulate the right prompts, work with data, and integrate AI tools into everyday decision-making. This is exactly the applied and systemic approach we saw at SET University,” says Roman Marchenko, CPO and Board Member at RIA.com.

Training Programs: From Security to Practical AI Usage

Based on AUTO.RIA’s specific needs, the SET University team designed three tailored learning programs for different employee groups.

The “Digital Security Fundamentals” program focused on recognizing phishing and social engineering, password management with two-factor authentication, secure data handling, and clear incident response procedures.

The practical course “AI as a Colleague” helped teams learn how to effectively use AI in their daily work — from crafting high-quality prompts to analyzing industry-specific use cases adapted to AUTO.RIA’s business context. Special attention was paid to safe AI usage and protection of confidential information. Personalized recommendations for using different tools were developed for each role.

Within the “Security Fundamentals & API Security” course, the technical team went deep into OWASP Top 10, learned to identify vulnerabilities — from SQL injections to authentication issues — implemented API Security practices, and integrated automated security checks into the CI/CD pipeline. The program concluded with the creation of custom static analysis rules for company-specific use cases.

This comprehensive approach systematically raises the level of security and technological maturity of the teams. The combination of theory and practice, adaptation to business context, and focus on applying knowledge in real processes helps build a culture in which every employee understands their role in the company’s AI transformation.

“For us, this training is not a one-off initiative, but part of a long-term transformation. We already see that teams are thinking differently about AI and information security: a shared language has emerged, there is a better understanding of risks and opportunities, and a clear vision of how these tools can enhance daily work rather than replace it.

It was crucial that the learning was highly practical and tailored to our business context. This allows teams to immediately integrate new approaches into their processes — from more mindful data handling to conscious use of AI in product and operational decisions,” adds Oleksandr Lishchynskyi, Technical Director and Board Member at RIA.com.

Learning as a Long-Term Investment in an AI-First Culture

At AUTO.RIA, the importance of balancing human expertise and automation is strongly emphasized. Routine tasks are gradually optimized with AI solutions, enabling teams to focus on strategic, creative, and product-driven challenges.

That is why corporate learning is seen as part of a long-term strategy to develop AI competencies and ensure sustainable growth, Roman Marchenko notes:

“By investing in learning, we are building an AI-first culture in which colleagues are not afraid of automation, but perceive it as an amplifier of their own expertise. For us, this is about business resilience, product quality, and the ability to scale in the context of rapid technological change.”