Walmart’s Big Bet: Deploying AI Across Operations—From Small Tasks to Large-Scale Processes; With a Workforce of 2 Million, Walmart is Transforming Retail and Shopping via AI
At the global retail chain Walmart’s annual meeting, it became clear that the company is making AI its primary tool to accelerate business growth. With thousands of stores worldwide, millions of weekly customers, and a workforce exceeding 2 million, the company is now leveraging AI across operations of all sizes—ranging from in-store order picking and delivery scheduling to analyzing customer feedback. Walmart CEO John Furner stated that the company’s goal is to make AI learning and its capabilities accessible to everyone.
Despite its massive existing network, Walmart aims to expand further; here are six key strategies…
Bringing AI Tools to Every Employee : Furner emphasizes the importance of every employee learning and advancing through AI tools. A major highlight of the meeting was the ‘CodePuppy’ tool, developed by engineers at Walmart Global Tech. It is a ‘vibe-coding tool’ that empowers employees at all levels to devise their own technical solutions.
Scaling Ideas Globally : Walmart aims to generate new ideas directly from frontline employees and implement them across the global enterprise. Furner remarked, “It doesn’t matter where an idea originates—whether it’s Bengaluru or Greater Toronto. We will adopt and scale the best ideas wherever they come from.”
Credentialing Program with OpenAI : Walmart has launched a credentialing program in partnership with OpenAI, open to all employees. The objective is to enable staff to solve problems using AI. For instance, a logistics manager within the company created an AI agent that assists with route optimization; this has reduced the movement of empty trucks and saved drivers’ time. Code Puppy: A Big Bet on Small Things
Code Puppy is a specialized AI agent designed to streamline and accelerate internal workflows; it has been rolled out across the organization so that even ground-level staff can utilize it. According to CTO Suresh Kumar, it is a tool that transforms associates into engineers.
AI Determines ‘Sandwich Timing’ : Walmart’s order pickers previously navigated the store using AI-generated routes, but AI now also determines exactly when Subway workers should be instructed to prepare an order. Greg Cathey, Head of Digital Fulfillment, explains that this timing is calibrated to ensure customers always receive a fresh, hot sandwich.
Customer Insights: AI Model to Gauge Sentiment
Moving beyond traditional 5-star rating surveys, Walmart is now employing multimodal AI analysis. The company analyzes conversations and video clips from a community group comprising 150,000 members. This approach not only captures what customers are saying but also interprets the sentiment behind their words.
