Walmart Unveils Spending Controls for AI Shopping Agents

Walmart has introduced new tools that will allow artificial intelligence (AI) agents to shop and complete transactions on behalf of customers. The retailer said it plans to roll out its “Agent Profiles” feature next month, enabling customers to authorize individual AI agents, track their purchases separately and set spending limits or require approval for each transaction. Customers will also be able to revoke an agent’s access at any time.

The company has also launched the “Walmart Agent Gateway,” a platform designed to connect AI assistants, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Meta’s Muse, with Walmart and Sam’s Club systems to search for products and complete purchases. Walmart said customers will remain in control of their shopping, while AI agents will not be allowed to access payment card details and may be blocked for violating company rules. The tools will be available to all Walmart account holders without requiring a Walmart+ membership. The move highlights Walmart’s efforts to expand AI-powered shopping, taking a different approach from Amazon, which has sought to restrict third-party AI shopping agents’ access to its platform.