Walmart Lets AI Agents Shop for You—Amazon Says No

Walmart just announced it will welcome AI agents—software that can shop and buy things for you—on its website. This comes right after Amazon started blocking these agents. Walmart's move means you could soon tell your AI assistant to order your usual groceries, and it would do it automatically. The company is building a system called Agent Gateway that lets approved AI agents search Walmart's products and make purchases. It's like giving a trusted friend your shopping list and letting them check out for you, but with built-in safeguards.

To keep you in control, Walmart is introducing Agent Profiles next month. You can create a separate profile for each AI agent you use, so you can see what it bought versus what you bought. You can also set rules: require your approval for every purchase, or set a spending limit—similar to adding an authorized user to your credit card. And importantly, the agent won't see your payment details or your entire purchase history. Walmart says the agent only gets the information it needs for the task.

Walmart also has your back if something goes wrong. The company's return policy applies even if an AI agent buys something you didn't want. And agents must follow Walmart's terms—they can't do anything beyond what you ask, and they can't access your payment info. If an agent breaks the rules, Walmart will block it. This is a big difference from other sites that just lock agents out entirely.

So what does this mean for you? If you're curious about using AI to save time on shopping, Walmart is making it safer and easier. You don't need a Walmart+ membership—any Walmart account holder can use it. The move could pressure other retailers to follow suit, giving you more ways to automate everyday tasks. But remember, you're still responsible for what your agent does, so set those spending limits carefully.