Walmart has today announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to transform how customers shop online by embedding the shopping experience directly into ChatGPT.
The collaboration aims to replace traditional search with an AI-driven conversational interface, allowing users to plan, browse, and check out all within ChatGPT using Instant Checkout.
Under this agreement, Walmart and Sam’s Club customers will soon be able to purchase everyday items, whether groceries, household essentials, or new finds, just by chatting. Rather than navigating a website or app, users can rely on AI to suggest products, streamline comparisons, and finalize orders through the ChatGPT environment.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon framed this as a shift away from the conventional e-commerce model built around a search bar and list of results. He described the upcoming experience as one that is “multi-media, personalized and contextual.”
Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of OpenAI, said the partnership is another step toward making daily routines easier by leveraging AI to streamline common tasks like restocking supplies or discovering new products.
Walmart is not new to AI. Within its own operations and digital platforms, the company already applies AI to optimize catalog updates, accelerate fashion production cycles, cut customer care resolution times, and enhance backend logistics. Some internal initiatives have reduced fashion lead times by up to 18 weeks and improved customer support responsiveness by as much as 40%
The integration with ChatGPT will use the Instant Checkout feature introduced by OpenAI earlier this year. Walmart expects this feature to evolve beyond single-item purchases and eventually support fuller shopping carts via conversational prompts.
To support growth in AI fluency, Walmart is also expanding training and certification programs for its workforce. It is rolling out ChatGPT Enterprise for internal teams and embracing OpenAI certifications to help associates engage with and leverage AI tools..
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