Meet Behdad Dehghani: Scaling AI at Coupang

Behdad Dehghani finds inspiration in art galleries, where quiet moments can spark big ideas around AI innovation. 

Behdad Dehghani, Director of Machine Learning at Coupang, has spent nearly six years shaping technologies that are redefining how customers shop on Coupang, a U.S. technology and global commerce leader. His journey embodies Coupang’s drive to innovate and improve the customer experience, from designing AI-based search and recommendation systems that that help retail customers find their next purchase, to breakthroughs in content understanding with large language models to deeply understand products, improve listing speed and quality.   

Harnessing AI for scale   

There’s been a lot of hype since AI went mainstream, Behdad notes, but it’s now reaching a realistic and mature stage. “In my work, I’ve been applying AI in two major areas: search ranking, which considers things like relevance and customer preference, and content understanding,” he said. “Both are incredibly complex challenges where AI really shines.”  

For example, he said, “We deal with far too many items in the catalog for humans to process manually with the precision and scale required. AI allows us to understand, group and rank this vast amount of data in ways that directly improve customer experience. From search retrieval to post-ranking and even understanding images and text, these models are delivering real impact. For us, it’s been an enormously valuable investment, not just in terms of efficiency, but in making shopping more relevant for every customer.”  

Building with purpose  

Behdad leads a team of machine learning engineers in Coupang’s Seattle office, working primarily within the Catalog organization, which turns scattered information into a clear, navigable system that makes complexity simple and useful. Their models extend into fueling search results, ads, and innovations for Coupang’s retail site – which sells everything from groceries to electronics – to millions of customers in South Korea and beyond. His work helps customers have a better shopping experience, and Behdad says the most rewarding part for him is seeing the results.   

“I’ve had the privilege of working with a talented team, contributing to significant advancements in search ads, recommendations and catalog,” he said. “What excites me most is knowing that my work ultimately benefits our customers, business partners and Coupang.”  

A culture that welcomes bold thinking  

Coupang’s openness to new technology has been a defining factor in Behdad’s career. The company embraced generative AI early and invests heavily in talent and infrastructure, creating a culture where innovators thrive. “The company has been bold enough to open large offices in Silicon Valley and Seattle, investing in the best talent,” he said. “That speaks volumes about the mindset here: adapt quickly, embrace new ideas and encourage creativity.”  

Life beyond machine learning  

Behdad with his wife, Zara, and son, Adrian.  

When he’s not at work, Behdad’s life is about family and his nearly two-year-old son whose fascination with airplanes mirrors his own childhood. Growing up, Behdad dreamed of becoming a pilot. Today, he relaxes with astronomy books and long podcasts. He also loves the Seattle area’s art galleries, which inspire his creativity and give him a sense of quiet and stillness. That balance is one of the reasons he and his family left the Bay Area for Seattle where they enjoy the Northwest’s natural beauty.  

Words of advice  

For those considering joining Coupang, Behdad says the work is as rewarding as it is demanding. “The fact that you’re doing something meaningful to improve people’s lives, I think that’s pretty satisfying,” he said. “Sometimes you want to have an impact in this whole great civilization, and to think you’re contributing a little bit to making people happy, that’s actually pretty satisfying for me.”  

Where ideas take flight  

Behdad’s ideas are often sparked by conversations with colleagues and quiet “What if…?” moments. When facing a roadblock, he finds that breakthroughs can come while taking a walk or unwinding with his son. He says that same openness to ideas is reflected in his work environment at Coupang. While the company provides overall direction, Behdad sees the process as deeply collaborative. “It’s a two-way environment – top-down and bottom-up. Leaders give direction, but there’s a lot of room to reshape and invent under that umbrella,” he said. “That’s where creativity flourishes.”