Gandhi bets on artificial intelligence with Mauricio, your assistant for discovering unforgettable books, authors, and stories

The bookstore chain is getting ahead of the future with the creation of “Mauricio,” an intelligent assistant that guides you to discover unforgettable books, authors, and stories.

In a pioneering move in Mexico’s cultural and retail sector, Librerías Gandhi has launched Mauricio, your virtual bookseller, an artificial intelligence developed to help both customers and booksellers navigate its extensive catalog of titles and empower booksellers with new tools to take the reader experience to the next level. Inspired by the curious and humanist spirit of Mauricio Achar, Gandhi’s founder, this project seeks to combine the warmth of human interaction with the power of technology, making every reading recommendation more personal, more precise, and more memorable.

An innovation project with a human touch

The initiative was led by Alberto Achar, Gandhi’s Commercial Director, and Judith Venegas, Commercial Operations Manager, who not only championed the idea but also actively participated in designing, training, and refining the model.

“Mauricio was born from the desire to ensure our booksellers never feel alone when faced with a difficult question, but instead feel supported by the same passion for books that Mauricio Achar always shared. It’s a tool that expands their knowledge and strengthens their role as cultural guides”, says Alberto Achar, explaining the purpose behind the project.

The impact on booksellers’ daily lives

Since its launch, Mauricio has changed the dynamics of the stores. Booksellers can now use AI to quickly access information about titles, authors, genres, and in-store availability. But beyond efficiency, what matters is the creation of a new kind of relationship between booksellers and technology: a collaborative relationship in which human knowledge is expanded with the help of artificial intelligence.

“The most valuable thing has been seeing the booksellers themselves adopt, test, and improve Mauricio. They have become co-creators of this collective intelligence that celebrates the best of Gandhi”, adds Judith Venegas.

In the words of Daniel, one of the booksellers who took part in the testing:

“Before, when a customer asked me for something like ‘a book about love, but not a romance,’ I had to think hard or search the system. Now, with Mauricio, we find something together that the customer didn’t even know they wanted to read.”

The AI training process has included the direct participation of booksellers from different branches, who contributed real examples of questions, conversations, and recommendations that helped build a more natural and empathetic knowledge base.

Technology developed by Cody

The project was made possible by the technology of Cody, a digital coach for training and supporting both teams and customers. Cody makes it possible to create specialized, secure, and easy-to-integrate artificial intelligence agents that continuously learn from real interactions to deliver more personalized experiences.

At Gandhi, Cody acts as the brain behind Mauricio, orchestrating its training, ensuring the quality of its recommendations, and guaranteeing compliance with ethical and safety standards in the handling of data and interactions.

“What Gandhi is doing with Mauricio is exemplary: a responsible, human-centered implementation of artificial intelligence. It’s a model of how technology can strengthen, not replace, people’s roles. Mauricio empowers booksellers, supports them, and helps them take the reader experience to the next level.”, says Andrés Uzeta, co-founder and Customer Success lead at Cody.

Could Mauricio become a tool that helps us read more?

Come meet Mauricio!

The public can now interact with Mauricio at Librerías Gandhi’s Del Valle branch, Mauricio Achar and Tepeyac in Mexico City, and the Mérida branch.

If you’d like to experience reading assisted by artificial intelligence—and discover which book Mauricio would recommend—, visit him and let the conversation lead you to your next great literary adventure.

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