Walmart and OpenAI Partner to Transform Shopping Through Direct ChatGPT Purchase Integration

Walmart announced a partnership with OpenAI that will enable customers to make purchases directly through ChatGPT conversations, introducing a new "chat and buy" shopping experience.

OpenAI's collaboration with Walmart represents a significant expansion of the AI company's commerce capabilities, allowing ChatGPT users to purchase products during their interactions with the chatbot without leaving the platform.

The new feature will make it possible for shoppers to instantly purchase meal ingredients, household necessities, and other products they might be discussing with ChatGPT through an integrated checkout system.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon highlighted this innovation as a transformative shift away from traditional eCommerce experiences that rely on search bars and lengthy item listings.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's cofounder and CEO, emphasized that the partnership aims to simplify everyday purchasing decisions for consumers.

While the companies have not specified an exact launch date, Walmart indicated that the integrated shopping feature would be available "soon."

This partnership follows OpenAI's recent commerce integrations with Shopify and Etsy sellers, though the Walmart alliance represents a substantially larger expansion into retail given the company's position as America's largest retailer.

For OpenAI, these retail partnerships could generate new revenue streams through purchase fees from digital shopping transactions, potentially helping the company that has relied on investor funding to cover the costs of developing and operating its advanced AI systems.

OpenAI previously partnered with payment processor Stripe to develop the technical standards for its "Instant Checkout" system when launching its Etsy and Shopify integrations last month.

Walmart has been actively incorporating AI across its operations and customer-facing services, including its AI shopping assistant called Sparky and various AI implementations throughout Walmart and Sam's Club.

Members of Sam's Club, a Walmart subsidiary, will also have access to the upcoming ChatGPT shopping functionality.

Daniel Danker, Walmart's executive vice president of AI Acceleration, Product and Design, emphasized that AI's transformation of retail operations from catalog management to delivery logistics depends on consumer trust in the technology.