Walmart Showcases AI-Powered Shopping at CES: A Rare Appearance

Walmart Unveils AI-Powered Innovations at CES 2024

Walmart made headlines at CES 2024 in Las Vegas by announcing its first-ever keynote focused on AI. The company's CEO, Doug McMillon, revealed an exciting collaboration with Microsoft to develop AI-enhanced shopping experiences that aim to transform how customers interact with Walmart’s digital platforms.

Walmart's new AI features will utilize large language models in partnership with Microsoft, leveraging both proprietary retail technologies and Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI services. This will enhance the search capabilities within Walmart’s mobile apps and website, allowing users to interact with the platform more intuitively.

For instance, shoppers can move beyond basic searches for items like soda and chips to request tailored product recommendations for specific events, such as birthday parties or game day celebrations, using natural language queries. This advanced algorithm will generate curated lists of relevant product categories to provide shoppers with personalized suggestions.

These innovations will not only enhance the shopping experience but will also help Walmart compete with Google’s AI search tool, SGE, and Amazon's AI-powered product listings. Importantly, the new AI search functions will also support store associates, streamlining their workflow and job-related tasks. For example, Walmart plans to implement an AI tool in Sam's Club to automate the verification of customer purchases, eliminating the need for manual receipt checks.

Additionally, Walmart introduced 'Walmart InHome Replenishment,' an AI feature designed to predict when items in a shopper's cart need to be replenished. This program enhances the existing 'InHome' service available to Walmart+ subscribers since 2019.

In a further push towards innovation, Walmart is exploring augmented reality by testing ‘Shop with Friends,’ a beta social commerce feature that allows shoppers to share virtual outfits with friends for real-time feedback. Finally, the retailer is expanding its drone delivery program in Texas, reaching 1.8 million additional households and facilitating item deliveries within as little as 30 minutes.

Walmart is clearly investing heavily in technology to redefine the retail landscape, making shopping easier and more engaging for customers.