After introducing a generative AI tool for its corporate employees in August, Walmart is now extending this technology to its customers. During a demonstration with TechCrunch, a company representative outlined Walmart’s experimentation with generative AI to enhance the entire shopping experience, from the initial search and discovery phase to the actual purchase. Three upcoming features include a shopping assistant, a generative AI-powered search tool, and an interior design feature.
Walmart has chosen not to disclose the specific AI models it is utilizing for these features but mentioned that they are employing various external models, and these choices may evolve over time.
The spokesperson stated, “Unlike some other companies that exclusively collaborate with Anthropic or OpenAI, we aim to maintain the flexibility to incorporate and switch between different models.”
The forthcoming shopping assistant, set to launch in the next few weeks, will enable customers to engage in more interactive and conversational interactions. It can answer specific inquiries, offer personalized product recommendations, and provide detailed information about particular items. For instance, it can suggest Halloween costume ideas for a horror-themed party or recommend a suitable cell phone for a child.
Similarly, users will soon have the ability to input specific questions directly into the search bar. By harnessing generative AI, Walmart’s search tool can grasp context and generate a selection of relevant items in response to a single query. For instance, if a customer is planning a unicorn-themed birthday party, the AI will display a wide array of products, including balloons, paper napkins, and streamers, thus saving customers time instead of requiring them to perform multiple separate searches.
Other companies, such as Instacart, have also introduced similar features, like a ChatGPT-powered search tool that provides suggestions for high-protein foods or Thanksgiving dinner ideas. Additionally, Meta recently unveiled a Bing-backed AI Assistant and an AI personality chatbot, among other tools.
Walmart is also developing an interior design assistant that empowers customers to decorate their rooms. In addition to leveraging generative AI, this feature incorporates AR (augmented reality) technology. Users are required to upload a photo of their room, and the AI captures images of every item within that space. Customers can seek advice from the chat assistant on how to redecorate, and the AI will suggest placing items in the room. Users can express their preferences for which items to keep or purchase. The AI also asks for a budget to recommend affordable items.
The ongoing investment in generative AI tools is a prevalent trend as more companies rush to integrate this technology into their products and services.
“Generative AI technology is a top priority for the company,” emphasized the Walmart spokesperson.
These new tools follow Walmart’s recent rollout of its AI app, “My Assistant,” to 50,000 corporate employees in the United States. The app streamlines tasks such as document summarization, meeting preparation, and project acceleration. Walmart has received “positive feedback” about the app and even discovered some employees using the assistant to craft “humorous out-of-office messages,” according to the spokesperson.
