You’ll soon be able to shop Walmart’s catalog on ChatGPT

Walmartis partnering with OpenAI to let users browse and make purchases directly through its popular chatbot ChatGPT, as the world’s largest retailer looks to use AI to leapfrog rival Amazon in online shopping. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in anannouncementTuesday that the retailer’s current online shopping experience consists of a “search bar and a long list of item responses.” That is about to change, he said, thanks to AI’s ability to provide a multimedia experience with more personalized answers. A Walmart spokesperson told CNN that the feature will launch in the fall, offering an extensive list of Walmart items as well clothing, entertainment and food from third-party sellers. Items from Sam’s Club’s catalog will launch soon after. Walmart will make use of OpenAI’srecently announced “Instant Checkout” tool, which lets users buy items directly through ChatGPT. The tech company has similarpartnershipswith Etsy, and said that Shopify-powered companies, like Kim Kardashian’s Skims and athleisure brand Vuori, would be available soon. But teaming up with Walmart is ChatGPT’s biggest shopping partnership to date. For Walmart, the deal will help advance its AI ambitions, which have lagged behind Amazon. The former launched Sparky in 2025, a personal shopping tool, more than a year afterAmazon launched Rufus. OpenAI wants to build the next era of the web, and it’s shelling out billions to do it Tech companies have announced hundreds of billions of dollars in investments for AI, from data centers to huge orders of chips. But criticshave raised concernsabout whether the industry is actually making money, even as share prices surge. Financial terms of the OpenAI deal weren’t disclosed. Walmart’s (WMT) stock rose nearly 3% following the announcement.