Walmart launches tools for AI agents to shop for customers

Walmart has announced new tools that will empower artificial intelligence agents to shop and finalize purchases for customers, as the company aims to capitalize on the expanding use of AI-powered assistants in e-commerce. This development highlights Walmart's growing interest in AI-driven shopping experiences, in stark contrast to Amazon's approach of restricting third-party AI shopping agents from accessing its platform.

To facilitate this new shopping paradigm, Walmart plans to introduce "Agent Profiles" next month. These profiles will allow shoppers to grant individual AI agents access to their accounts, monitor purchases separately from their own orders, and set spending limits or require approval for each transaction. Customers will also have the ability to revoke agent access at any time, instilling confidence in the experimental shopping process enabled by AI agents.

The company has also launched the "Walmart Agent Gateway," a platform that enables AI assistants like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Meta's Muse to connect directly with Walmart and Sam's Club systems. This integration allows AI agents to search for products and complete purchases on behalf of customers. Walmart assures customers that AI agents will not have access to their payment card data and will be blocked if they violate company rules.

Walmart's new AI shopping tools will be accessible to all Walmart account holders, regardless of whether they have a Walmart+ membership. The company's management team appears confident in the potential of this experimental shopping process, as indicated by analyst David Bellinger of Mizuho.