Walmart partners with OpenAI for ChatGPT assisted shopping
Walmart has recently announced a new partnership with OpenAI, allowing customers and Sam’s Club members to shop directly within ChatGPT using the AI chatbot’s Instant Checkout feature. This move signifies Walmart’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance the shopping experience for its customers and streamline operations.
As one of the world’s largest retailers, Walmart is embracing AI technology to simplify tasks and reduce costs. The company has introduced AI tools like ‘Sparky,’ a generative AI-powered assistant available on its app. Sparky assists customers by providing product recommendations and summarizing product reviews, among other features.
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer is expanding its use of artificial intelligence as companies across sectors adopt the technology. REUTERS
By investing in AI, Walmart aims to narrow the gap with competitors like Amazon, which already utilizes AI technology in its chatbot, Rufus. Rufus is a Gen AI-powered shopping assistant that addresses various customer queries and enhances the shopping experience.
This collaboration with ChatGPT-maker is part of Walmart’s broader strategy to enhance its AI capabilities and provide customers with more personalized and efficient shopping experiences. OpenAI previously partnered with Etsy and Shopify, underscoring the growing trend of AI adoption in the retail industry.
Data from SimilarWeb indicates that ChatGPT referrals accounted for about 15% of total referral traffic for Walmart in September, up from 9.5% in August. While referrals play a minor role in overall web traffic, they demonstrate the increasing reliance on AI-powered solutions in the retail sector.
Despite the rise in ChatGPT referrals, they still represent less than 1% of Walmart’s total web traffic. However, the positive response to AI integration is reflected in Walmart’s stock performance, with shares rising by approximately 5% following the announcement of the partnership.
