Walmart will let AI assistants shop for you, with spending limits

Walmart plans to let outside AI assistants shop for you at Walmart and Sam's Club, and you decide how much freedom they get. You can require approval for every purchase or cap an agent at $50, $100 or $200. Walmart announced the plan on Oct. 21.

What changed

An AI agent is a program that acts for you instead of only answering questions. Walmart is building the tools that would let compatible third-party AI apps place orders for customers. The package has three parts: Agent Profiles, the Walmart Agent Gateway and new terms that govern how agents behave.

Your controls

• Each agent gets its own profile in your Walmart account, so you can tell its purchases from yours.
• You can require approval for every purchase or set a limit, such as $50, $100 or $200.
• You can revoke an agent's access at any time.
• Agent Profiles are expected to launch within the next month.

Walmart also set rules for agents. They must follow the shopper's instructions. They cannot see payment-card information or change how you pay. An agent that breaks Walmart's terms may be blocked.

Privacy limits

The gateway is designed to help an agent find the products you usually buy without handing over your wider purchase history to the third-party agent. There is a catch. Anything you share with an AI provider is still covered by that provider's own privacy policy, not Walmart's.

Why brands are watching

Walmart Connect, the company's advertising arm, sees a shift from keywords to conversations. Ryan Mayward, a senior vice president there, wrote that a few keywords show what someone searches for, while a conversation shows what they are trying to accomplish. Rich Lehrfeld, who leads the international and Sam's Club side, described an agent suggesting a traditional Mexican cooking tool from a smaller seller to a curious home cook.

What is not known yet

The Agent Gateway is in early beta, and companies and developers can request access. Walmart has not said whether it will change ad placements, campaign measurement or how sales are credited to ads. Open questions include how products will be surfaced by agents and how sponsored recommendations might work.