Walmart Says AI Will Predict What Shoppers Want To Buy This Holiday

Walmart customers who have made their Christmas list and are checking it twice can get some help making gift decisions with AI.

The Benton, Ark.-based retail giant said it will use AI and generative AI to help customers with their personalized shopping suggestions, delivery and refunds this holiday season.

It said the GenAI shopping assistant will enable "customers to discover, evaluate and decide on the best product for their unique needs."

"Just like a real-life shopping assistant, the tool engages in natural, free-flowing conversations, ensuring customers feel confident in their purchases," the company said on Wednesday.

When shoppers go on Walmart.com, AI technology, which understands their preferences, and GenAI will predict the types of products they'd like to view.

The tools on the website and the company's app will allow customers to browse specific categories.

For example, "What's a good gift for a five-year-old boy?"). This generates more relevant and cross-category results, such as a sweater, book and soccer ball, giving customers gift ideas they may not have discovered if using a traditional search function," the company said.

Customers will also be able to access GenAI-powered product reviews, summaries and comparisons that will allow them to compare different models to streamline their "decision-making process."

CEO Doug McMillon sang the praises of AI in its ability to analyze more than 850 million pieces of data in its product catalog.

"We're finding tangible ways to leverage generative AI to improve the customer, member and associate experience. We're leveraging data and large language models from others and building our own," McMillon said during an earnings call in August.

"Without the use of generative AI, this work would have required nearly 100 times the current headcount to complete in the same amount of time," he said.