- Walmart showcased major AI initiatives at CES 2023, spanning customer experiences, operations, and employee assistance tools.
- Offerings include a generative search engine, computer vision to cut wait times, and expanded chatbot availability.
- Walmart’s slate of practical AI integrations aims to improve shopping through ambient intelligence.
“Adaptive retail” is the new buzzword
Walmart unveiled major AI-centric initiatives at CES 2023, spanning enhanced customer experiences, operations improvements, and workforce assistance tools.
The retail giant prioritizes personalized, tech-driven “adaptive retail” while pledging sensitivity around potential job impacts.
Arguably most consumer-facing, Walmart will launch a generative search on iOS for querying products by use cases rather than specific items. Users can search for “football watch party” instead of individual food and television queries.
Computer vision to slash wait times
Meanwhile, an AI-powered automatic replenishment service will ship frequently ordered goods to Walmart InHome customers.
Other AI rollouts include computer vision slashing wait times for receipt checks at Sam’s Club and expanding overseas availability of the employee-assisting My Assistant chatbot.
Walmart partnered with Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI models while noting its responsibility to ensure tech serves people first.
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CEO discusses automation impact
The enhancements align with Walmart’s tech-forward mission to blend online and offline commerce into seamless, customized experiences.
CEO Doug McMillon acknowledged some roles will inevitably change or disappear because of automation. He stressed Walmart is creating new jobs and training staff for this “shared future.”
With AI promising breakthroughs across sectors, Walmart’s slate of practical integrations balanced ambitions and ethics around improving shopping through ambient intelligence.
Still, the question remains how swiftly retail workforces will need to adapt as algorithms master an ever-wider skillset.
