Artificial intelligence–driven shopping is rapidly transitioning from a futuristic concept to a mainstream reality. On Tuesday, Walmart—the nation’s largest retailer and a defining force in American commerce—announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI designed to fundamentally transform the digital shopping landscape. Through this partnership, consumers are now able to make direct purchases from Walmart using the ChatGPT application, seamlessly integrating their shopping lists with individual meal planning, dietary preferences, and personal needs.
Doug McMillon, the Chief Executive Officer of Walmart Inc., emphasized the magnitude of this transformation in his statement, noting that for many years, the online retail experience has traditionally been centered around a simple search bar, followed by an overwhelming scroll of product results. According to McMillon, that paradigm is on the verge of significant disruption. He suggested that e-commerce is evolving from a passive process of searching and sorting to a dynamic, conversational, and interactive dialogue between shopper and system—making the experience more intuitive, efficient, and human-like.
This development signifies a substantial broadening of Walmart’s existing collaboration with OpenAI. Up until now, their partnership had primarily concentrated on internal operations and employee development. Earlier in the summer, Walmart introduced an expansive artificial intelligence training program aimed at equipping employees with new digital competencies and literacy in AI technologies. More recently, the company extended access to an enterprise-grade version of ChatGPT across Sam’s Club locations, enabling associates to enhance productivity, improve communication, and assist customers more effectively.
In parallel, Walmart has been cultivating a proprietary suite of artificial intelligence tools, including its in-house virtual assistant known as Sparky. This agent automates functions similar to those performed by OpenAI’s systems, underscoring Walmart’s commitment to integrating AI throughout every layer of its business operations. However, when asked whether Walmart prefers consumers to use its own tools over those developed by external AI companies, John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S., clarified that the company’s foremost priority lies in customer convenience. His guiding principle, he stated, is ensuring that shoppers can buy from Walmart in whatever way best suits their lifestyles—whether through physical stores, pickup options, same-day delivery, or online channels. For Furner, flexibility and customer personalization are not luxuries but essential components of a frictionless retail ecosystem.
Industry experts have largely interpreted Walmart’s latest move as evidence that the retailer continues to outpace rivals in its adoption and application of artificial intelligence. David Bellinger, an analyst at Mizuho, described the announcement as a critical advancement in what he termed the dawn of “agentic commerce”—a model of shopping in which AI agents manage the end-to-end purchasing process for consumers. He pointed out that while many competitors have been hesitant, or even resistant, to embrace such innovations—some going so far as to restrict AI web crawlers—Walmart’s proactive strategy positions it as an early leader in next-generation retail.
The concept of agentic shopping itself represents a fundamental reimagining of the customer journey. Rather than manually comparing products, reading reviews, or managing carts, a shopper can simply describe their preferences in natural language. For instance, an individual might ask what type of cereal best matches their taste for cinnamon and low sugar, and the AI agent not only generates tailored recommendations but can even finalize the transaction autonomously. This model effectively transforms shopping from a task-based activity into an intelligent consultation, where decision-making is informed, personalized, and expedited.
Walmart’s announcement joins a broader wave of AI-driven retail experimentation that demonstrates that such innovations are not fleeting trends but part of a sustained technological shift. Just a few months earlier, in September, ChatGPT expanded further into retail through a partnership with Stripe to introduce an “Instant Checkout” button—allowing users to purchase items directly within the chat interface. Merchants pay a modest fee for the feature, though details about how product recommendations are generated remain unclear. Nonetheless, Etsy sellers across the United States have already begun adopting this functionality for single-item purchases, suggesting that conversational commerce is quickly gaining traction across diverse market segments.
Such changes, however, introduce new complexities for retailers. Opening e-commerce ecosystems to external AI interfaces means relinquishing a degree of control over product listings, traffic flow, and customer data—factors that e-commerce giant Amazon has been notably cautious to risk. In contrast, Walmart and Target have embraced external collaborations such as ChatGPT integration, while Amazon has chosen a more insular path by limiting external access to its product listings. Most Amazon products, therefore, remain largely invisible to public AI chatbot searches.
Instead, Amazon is investing heavily in its proprietary AI system called Rufus, a virtual shopping assistant embedded directly into its own search infrastructure. Although Rufus currently cannot complete purchases on behalf of customers, it ensures that Amazon maintains full control over its $56 billion advertising operation, which depends on keeping consumer traffic within its own digital ecosystem. Thus, while Walmart is expanding outward through strategic alliances, Amazon is fortifying its internal technologies—two contrasting approaches to navigating the intersection of AI and commerce.
As ChatGPT now processes approximately 50 million shopping-related queries each day, the approaching holiday season is poised to serve as a crucial testing ground for the effectiveness of agentic shopping. It will reveal whether conversational AI can tangibly enhance sales performance and redefine digital retail experiences on a mass scale. Reflecting on the journey ahead, John Furner acknowledged the experimental nature of Walmart’s efforts, admitting that the outcomes remain to be seen but affirming confidence in the foundation already laid by their AI agent, Sparky. His remarks suggest an ongoing process of learning, refinement, and iterative innovation.
With the addition of ChatGPT to Walmart’s growing roster of AI tools, the company has positioned itself at the forefront of a new era in digital retail—one where human convenience, machine intelligence, and commercial strategy converge to create a more seamless, adaptive, and intelligent shopping experience.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/walmarts-new-chatgpt-deal-shows-agent-shopping-here-to-stay-2025-10
