Walmart’s decision to enable its shoppers to make purchases directly in the ChatGPT app will probably go down as one of the landmark moments in retailing history. Then again, the tech field has produced any number of dead ends that looked revolutionary when they first appeared: anyone remember the metaverse?
But this Instant Checkout feature, which is expected to be in place on the Walmart site shortly, could be the breakthrough on how artificial intelligence redefines retail.
“For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in announcing the new partnership. “That is about to change.” He said the AI feature will be “multi-media, personalized and contextual,” adding that Walmart is “running towards that more enjoyable and convenient future.”
The AI checkout feature was initially rolled out with Etsy, the crafts and decorative accessories website, where shoppers can use it to make single purchases. When it was first announced in September, OpenAI also indicated that it would be working with more than one million Shopify sellers, including Skims and Glossier, in the near future.
The financial terms of this new arrangement have not been announced but in the past OpenAI has said it will charge companies a fee for transactions completed through ChatGPT.
Walmart already uses artificial intelligence for its Sparky shopping assistant on its app.
The future is no longer the future: it’s here now.