Walmart rolls out AI agent shopping features while Amazon tries to curb the tech
Walmart is introducing new tools to facilitate third-party AI shopping agents, aiming to improve accuracy and user control. This strategy contrasts with Amazon's more restrictive approach, which has involved blocking certain AI agents from its platform.
Why it matters
The divergence in how major retailers handle AI agents signals a developing battle over control of the automated consumer shopping experience.
Walmart is adding tools it says will make AI agent shopping easier. Bloomberg/Getty Images Walmart is rolling out two new tools to help third-party AI agents shop on behalf of customers. The company says the tools give people more control of their bots, and help bots be more accurate. Walmart's move contrasts with Amazon's approach, after it blocked Meta's agent Muse from its site. Walmart wants your bot to shop. The retail giant said Wednesday that it has two new tools to help third-party AI agents shop on customers' behalf: agent profiles and an agent gateway. The agent profiles link all transactions to the bot that performed them, and allow Walmart customers to manage authorizations and spending limits as they would for an additional user on their credit card account, the company said.
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Walmart Embraces Artificial Intelligence Shopping Assistants as Competitors Block Them
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