Walmart announced plans on Wednesday to let AI agents shop for customers on Walmart.com and at Sam’s Club, featuring dedicated profiles and set spending limits. Chief executive John Furner shared the details at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, according to The Next Web.
Key takeaways
- Walmart introduced Agent Profiles to give shopping bots separate accounts and purchase histories.
- Customers can set spending limits like $50, $100, or $200 for each agent profile.
- The new Walmart Agent Gateway connects bots using Anthropic's Model Context Protocol.
- Bots get no credit card details and must follow strict rules or face being blocked.
How will Walmart AI agents work for shoppers?
Shoppers currently use bots that sign in using personal accounts, blending bot orders with human purchases. Agent Profiles, arriving within the next month, fix this by creating a separate profile inside the main account. Customers can delete these profiles whenever they want. Walmart noted that this setup functions similarly to adding an authorized user to a credit card.
The system builds a profile automatically when a shopper uses an agent through the new gateway for the first time. Users then link it by logging into their Walmart account. A Walmart+ membership is not required for this feature, according to The Next Web.
What is the Walmart Agent gateway?
Bots previously browsed Walmart's site using standard web pages built for human shoppers, which the retailer described as slow and prone to errors. The Walmart Agent Gateway replaces this method by using the Model Context Protocol, an open standard originally developed by Anthropic to link bots with external tools and data. This gateway debuts as a beta release aimed at companies and developers.
This connection helps a bot locate routine items, such as a preferred milk brand, without exposing a shopper's complete purchase history. Under the new rules, customer approval is mandatory by default for all purchases. Walmart may request additional confirmations even if a transaction falls under the designated spending limit.
Why it matters
Retailers and financial firms are drawing different lines as automated bots enter the commerce space. While Walmart embraces bots through its new gateway, other companies are pushing back. Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse in September over unauthorized account access, and companies like Schwab and JPMorgan blocked bots from moving customer funds. Walmart also clarified that prices remain identical for bots and humans, addressing recent debates over pricing transparency.
Frequently asked questions
Walmart announced Agent Profiles on Wednesday at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco.
Customers can set individual spending limits for their agents, such as $50, $100, or $200.
The gateway uses the Model Context Protocol, an open standard created by Anthropic to link AI agents to external tools and data.
No, a Walmart+ membership is not needed to use AI agents on the platform.
No, agents receive no card details and are not allowed to add or change payment methods.
Based on reporting by The Next Web. Read the original article
