Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon recently told the Wall Street Journal that it’s hard to imagine any job that won’t be affected by AI. The world’s largest private employer, with over 2.1 million workers is betting on AI to reshape the company from the inside out. Its newly formalized collaboration with OpenAI further emphasizes that conviction.
The retail powerhouse is teaming up with the world’s most recognized AI brand to train its workforce, streamline operations, and redefine the shopping experience itself. This collaboration allows shoppers to interact with Walmart directly through ChatGPT, utilizing Instant Checkout to seamlessly plan meals, restock essentials, or discover new products simply by chatting, while Walmart manages the order fulfillment behind the scenes.
“We’re excited to partner with Walmart to make everyday purchases a little simpler. It’s just one way AI will help people every day under our work together,” said Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of OpenAI
Additionally, Walmart associates will also gain access to free AI certifications and on-the-job learning pathways through OpenAI’s training platform. “We’re not waiting around, we’re leaning in to make it work for our customers, associates, and partners,” said McMillon.
A Workforce Transformation
“For many years now, E-commerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses. That is about to change. There is a native AI experience coming that is multi-media, personalized and contextual. We are running towards that more enjoyable and convenient future with Sparky and through partnerships including this important step with OpenAI,” said Doug McMillon.
Walmart’s strategy stands out from the many tech layoff stories making the news. The retailer plans to freeze its headcount for the next three years while forecasting continued revenue growth. That growth, the company says, will be fueled by AI adoption rather than workforce expansion. The next-generation workforce will center on “AI fluency” rather than traditional labor metrics.
However, not all reactions have been optimistic. Critics argue that such partnerships could funnel power and control into a handful of major AI providers, reducing the accessibility of open innovation. “Paid partnerships that will push making purchases in-app is the last feature I want,” one reader argued, capturing broader concerns about corporate-driven AI consolidation.
From an optimistic perspective, Walmart’s move is a potential industry milestone that could accelerate intelligent automation across retail. If successful, Walmart’s collaboration with OpenAI will help train millions of employees who will carry their newfound AI literacy to competitors and smaller retail chains.
As one retail analyst noted, “Walmart’s move will educate the market and accelerate agentic adoption. Many retailers will want alternatives that are cost-optimized, retail-specific, and not tied to a direct competitor’s stack.”
This move could create new opportunities for startups like Rezolve that specialize in improving efficiency and integrating payment systems.
Agentic commerce, the concept where AI moves from reactive tasks to proactive assistance by learning, planning, and predicting customer needs is at the very core of this transformation.
Walmart and Sam’s Club currently employ AI to optimize product catalogs, dramatically shorten fashion production timelines by up to 18 weeks, and reduce customer care resolution times by as much as 40%. These advancements illustrate AI’s growing role in making retail faster, smarter, and more rewarding.
Navigating Through The Pain Points
Optimism still doesn’t erase AI’s unresolved technical issues. Among the biggest barriers to meaningful enterprise deployment remains hallucinations. The phenomenon where AI generates false or misleading content while sounding convincing.
For AI systems embedded in sensitive operations like payrolls, logistics, or supply chain forecasting, the margin for error is nearly zero. Walmart’s workforce reconfiguration underscores just how high the stakes are.
After all, automation in the wrong context can create “workslop,” as Stanford and BetterUp researchers labeled it, content that looks productive but adds little value. If Walmart and OpenAI can’t tackle hallucination at scale, the long-term credibility of enterprise AI will suffer.
Despite the buzz around the partnership, Walmart’s initial AI rollout remains more employee-oriented than customer-facing for now. As one reddit user put it, “What they are doing is more employee-based versus customer-based.”
Right now, the company’s focus is on upskilling employees and optimizing back-office efficiency. That said, the transition toward customer AI is inevitable. Walmart has already tested voice assistants like “Ask Sam” in stores and is experimenting with conversational AI for inventory management.
Criticism has also surfaced regarding the idea of paid partnerships pushing in-app purchases. Some consumer voices express concern that such integrations could detract from user experience by commodifying shopping too aggressively. Among industry veterans and enthusiasts, responses to Walmart’s partnership remain polarizing. Some see the announcement as a natural evolution of global retail, while others view it as the beginning of an overreach.
“It seems to me this is a total bubble-burster,” one reddit user wrote. “The whole promise of AI tools that empower individuals is being taken over by corporations that will turn creative power into controlled consumption.”
The tension captures a broader unease: Will AI democratize productivity or corporatize it? Walmart’s initiative may answer that question faster than expected. Despite these reservations, human skills remain a critical component of Walmart’s vision. CEO McMillon stresses that the future will continue to rely on uniquely human abilities, especially in frontline roles that engage with customers.
“Until we’re serving humanoid robots and they have the ability to spend money, we’re serving people,” McMillon says. The aim is a “people-led, tech-powered” model, where technology reduces friction but human interaction remains central.
Industry leaders like Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman echo this sentiment, emphasizing the enduring importance of soft skills in an AI-enhanced work environment. The most prized employees will be those who combine adaptability, emotional intelligence, and technical proficiency.
If executed wisely, Walmart’s partnership with OpenAI could stand as one of the century’s most significant case studies in corporate reskilling and responsible adoption. Its success (or failure) will help determine whether AI reshapes work in ways that empower people or merely streamline profits.
Doug McMillon’s statement that “AI is going to change literally every job” feels less like a prediction and more like a roadmap. The only question left is whether everyone, employees, competitors, and customers alike, will be ready for the change when it arrives.
