Walmart is teaming up with OpenAI to let customers make purchases directly through its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, the retailer said Tuesday.
With the initiative, the nation’s largest retailer will let shoppers make purchases through ChatGPT’s “Instant Checkout” feature, which the company describes as “the next generation of retail.” The feature will let customers “simply chat and buy” when reordering household essentials, planning meals or even completing their Christmas lists.
“For many years, e-commerce shopping experiences have relied on a search bar and a long list of item responses,” Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a news release. “That is about to change.”
McMillon was referring to the company’s upcoming “multimedia, personalized and contextual” AI platform, designed to make shopping more enjoyable and convenient.
Walmart’s AI-first shopping experience will “make everyday purchases a little simpler,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI. “It’s just one way AI can help people every day through our work together.”
McMillon did not provide details on when shoppers could start using ChatGPT to make purchases, but the company said it would be “soon.”
The initiative reflects a broader shift toward “agentic commerce,” in which AI agents take extra steps — such as searching for items, comparing options and finalizing purchases — to better meet customer needs.
That is when “AI shifts from reactive to proactive, from static to dynamic” to redefine how people shop, according to Walmart. “It learns, plans and predicts, helping customers anticipate their needs before they do.”
Walmart’s announcement comes just weeks after OpenAI launched its “Instant Checkout” feature, which initially enabled shoppers to use its chatbot to purchase items from Etsy sellers.
With News Wire Services
