Walmart partners with OpenAI so shoppers can buy things directly in ChatGPT

Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to give shoppers a new feature that lets them complete purchases using ChatGPT, as the retailer invests in artificial intelligence to improve operations. 

 Using ChatGPT’s new “Instant Checkout” feature, shoppers in conversation with the AI-powered bot will be able to browse Walmart’s offerings through ChatGPT, and complete purchases from within the app 

ChatGPT first announced “Instant Checkout” last month. The shopping feature lets users query ChatGPT for things like “best mattress under $1,000” or “gift for an avid reader,” and buy suggested products from within the chat, without having to navigate outside the app.

With the Walmart partnership, the AI-driven shopping experience “allows customers and Sam’s Club members to plan meals, restock essentials, or discover new products simply by chatting — Walmart will take care of the rest,” the retail giant said Tuesday.

Walmart touts the move as a push past traditional e-commerce search tools that retrieve products solely based on consumers requests. “AI will learn and predict customers’ needs, turning shopping from a reactive experience into a proactive one — what Walmart calls agentic commerce,” the company said Tuesday. 

Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said the consumer-facing enhancement is long overdue. 

“For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses. That is about to change … We are running towards that more enjoyable and convenient future with Sparky and through partnerships including this important step with OpenAI,” he said in a statement Tuesday. 

Sparky is Walmart’s generative AI-powered shopping assistant, designed to deliver more conversational and personalized shopping assistance. 

Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, touted the partnership with Walmart as one that makes “everyday purchases a little simpler.”

E-commerce giant Amazon is also making a foray into the world of so-called agentic AI, in which bots replace humans. Through its “Buy for Me” feature in the Amazon Shopping App, shoppers can buy goods from vendors selling products that aren’t available on Amazon.com without leaving the Amazon ecosystem. 

“If a customer decides to proceed with a Buy for Me purchase, they tap on the Buy for Me button on the product detail page to request Amazon make the purchase from the brand retailer’s website on their behalf,” Amazon explains on its corporate website. “Customers are taken to an Amazon checkout page where they confirm order details, including preferred delivery address, applicable taxes and shipping fees, and payment method.”