'AI is only as strong as its data': Why Microsoft is betting on this little-known startup’s 700B parameter model to predict your next purchase

• Microsoft supports Yobi’s 700 billion parameter model using Azure infrastructure
• Yobi analyzes purchases and visits to predict future consumer behavior
• The system targets users earlier than traditional search and social ads

Microsoft has entered a partnership with behavioral AI startup Yobi to develop predictive consumer intelligence using a 700 billion parameter model.

According to the company, its AI system relies on consented, real-world data, including purchases, store visits, and marketing conversions.

Going forward, Microsoft will provide platform operations and cloud infrastructure via Azure, while Yobi manages behavioral AI training and customer modeling.

Application to enterprise advertising

Yobi’s AI system is designed to reach audiences earlier in the purchase journey than traditional advertising platforms.

Regular social and search platforms mostly focus on users already close to purchase, but Yobi identifies customers who have not previously engaged with the brand.

Yobi’s behavioral model generates predictive insights without exposing individual consumer identities.

The system uses privacy-preserving customer representations to deliver intent signals to enterprise customers, as first-party data is uploaded securely, combined with Yobi’s behavioral data, and activated in real time through Microsoft Azure.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to building AI solutions that are both innovative and responsible, with trust and privacy at the core,” said Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business.

Enterprises can access Yobi’s system through the Azure Marketplace, centralizing their permissioned consumer data and applying predictive models across online and in-store channels.

The AI system is intended to personalize experiences, discover potential high-value customers, and predict outcomes aligned with business metrics.

Microsoft’s Azure platform provides the computing resources required to train and deploy Yobi’s 700 billion parameter model.

Yobi’s consented database represents one of the largest collections of behavioral consumer data in the United States.

“Understanding and predicting customer intent is a competitive necessity, but enterprises today face a data disadvantage,” said Max Snow, CEO and co-founder of Yobi AI.

“As the leading cloud provider for AI, Microsoft Azure offers infrastructure and best-in-class tooling that allows Yobi to train proprietary 700B parameter models — unlocking for companies like Wolverine the ability to optimize sales without compromising privacy.”

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.