Walmart lets outside AI shopping assistants buy, with rules

Walmart is opening its store to outside AI shopping assistants, with strict rules attached. Under updated terms announced Wednesday, an AI agent, meaning software that shops for you, must get the customer's approval before buying. It also cannot receive the customer's payment-card information.

What changed

Walmart introduced two new tools, Agent Profiles and Agent Gateway, along with the updated agent terms. The company says they are meant to expand AI shopping while keeping shoppers informed and their personal information protected.

This builds on earlier steps. Walmart was one of the first major retailers to connect purchasing with OpenAI's ChatGPT, and it teamed up with Google's Gemini earlier this year. It also has its own assistant, Sparky, which launched in 2025.

Amazon has taken the opposite path. It has tried to stop agents from Perplexity and Meta from shopping on its site for customers.

Tracy Poulliot, a Walmart U.S. executive vice president, said last month that the goal is not technology for its own sake. "It's pointing the technology at a problem that creates meaningful value for the customer," she said.

What is not known yet

The report does not explain how Agent Profiles or Agent Gateway work, or when shoppers will see them. It also does not say what the approval step will look like on screen, or how Walmart will check that agents follow the terms.